Marvin OnumonuOver half of graduate jobs now need artificial intelligence (AI) skills, with more than 54% of organisations saying all early-career roles will require AI ability, FDM Group research found.
However, only 6% of teams had strong AI skills at present.
Among the skills most sought after for graduate roles, 25% of employers identified prompt engineering as a top requirement, while 22% highlighted critical thinking and applied problem solving, and 21% cited data engineering and pipeline development as crucial.
In terms of soft skills, 18% of employers considered critical thinking to be important, followed by 15% who valued creativity and innovation, and 14% who emphasised the importance of ethical judgement.
Sheila Flavell, COO at FDM Group, said: “AI is transforming every aspect of our lives, from education to the workplace, and businesses clearly recognise this shift.
“For graduates, this creates a huge opportunity to build the skills that are needed in the current and future workforce.
“This is especially true considering the gap between organisational appetite for AI and their existing capabilities for successful AI integration.”
Flavell added: “That’s why training and upskilling are more important than ever.
“By equipping graduates with AI capabilities, organisations can prepare for the AI-driven world we now live in. But this must go hand in hand with supporting existing staff.
“To build a truly digitally confident workforce, organisations need to provide individuals with the training to not only use AI effectively but also oversee it responsibly.
“The future of AI success lies in human oversight. AI doesn’t replace people, it amplifies those who are equipped to use it wisely.”
Around a quarter of organisations said they expect to prioritise hybrid roles that mix business and technology skills.
8% saw a move towards specialist graduate roles, while just 2% expected graduate positions to decline in favour of experienced AI workers.
