Automated job screening and AI-led interviews could make it harder for young people outside work and education to get a foot in the door, according to an analysis by Josh Hillman, Education Director at the Nuffield Foundation. The piece was published on Nov. 13, 2026, just ahead of a major UK report on youth inactivity.
It looks at how artificial intelligence could help or harm young people who are not in education, employment or training, a group known as NEET. It concludes that the benefits of AI for this group will not be automatic.
How AI Is Changing the Hiring Process
Entry-level hiring in the UK has become more remote and formal. Many employers now use online portals, automated screening and, in some cases, AI-led recorded interviews.
The Milburn Review, whose final report on NEET young people is due imminently, calls this trend “rejection at scale.” Its interim report pointed to falling youth employment, fewer entry-level jobs and tougher recruitment processes.
For young people furthest from work, these systems can add new barriers. Repeated rejection with no human contact or useful feedback can hurt confidence and make it harder to try again.
There is also concern about the kind of entry-level jobs that remain. If AI takes over routine tasks that young workers once learned from, employers may struggle to build the experienced staff they need later.
Beyond hiring, there are three other ways AI could deepen existing disadvantage. Young people cut off from school and work may have fewer chances to build digital and job skills.
Low income can also limit access to devices, internet and the confidence to use technology well. Having access to AI alone does not mean a young person can use it to improve their prospects.
There is a risk of a learning gap too. Better-off young people may use AI as a tutor or coach, while for others it could become a cheaper stand-in for human teaching and support.
Where AI Could Help
AI could also improve outcomes for young people at risk. Better use of data could help schools, colleges and support services spot those at risk earlier and step in before problems become entrenched.
AI could make information on courses, training and jobs easier to find. Research by the Institute of Student Employers, which involved young people outside education and work, found AI could help them handle recruitment processes and explain their transferable skills.
Information is not the same as guidance, however. Young people still need trusted human support to make sense of their options and connect to real opportunities.
Apprenticeships, T-Levels and V-Levels could become more important where they mix formal learning, mentoring and workplace experience. Employer involvement in designing these routes is seen as key.
Assessment will also need to help young people learn to use AI well rather than depend on it. Used badly, AI can let students skip the reasoning and effort that build knowledge and judgement.
The UK government wants young people to build digital and AI skills for life and work. Skills England lists AI adoption and youth employability among its major challenges, and a new Early Careers Jobs Alliance is studying how employers can protect routes into work.
Government is also exploring AI tutoring tools to support disadvantaged pupils. It has acknowledged, however, that evidence on pupils’ use of generative AI is still at an early stage.
