A new programme from techSPARK and Taught by Humans will help 50 people into entry-level roles with South West employers by March 2027, at least half of them women.
The UK is heading towards an entry-level jobs crisis. There are 1.6 million fewer entry-level jobs than there were in 2005, and over one million young people are currently not in work or training – not because they don’t want to be, but because the opportunities aren’t there. AI is accelerating the shift. But the hiring process itself is making things worse. Identical AI-generated CVs, automated screening, AI interviews and tests – employers can’t tell who is actually a good fit. Candidates can’t prove they’re worth a shot.
At a recent roundtable in Bath, facilitated by techSPARK and Taught by Humans in association with SETsquared, the findings were stark. Very few employers in the room were actively hiring at entry level. And while AI was expected to create a new generation of junior AI roles, those roles – in practice – don’t exist.
AI Talent Pipeline South West, funded by the UK Government, helps employers work out what they actually need – and connects them with candidates who have the skills, or the potential to build them.
For jobseekers, that means discovering, developing and demonstrating real skills – and building the confidence to show employers what they can do. For employers, it means designing roles and job descriptions that reflect what the work actually requires, and connecting with candidates who are ready, or ready to learn.
The programme was designed to support entry-level AI roles. But as AI becomes part of how most organisations work, the distinction between an AI role and any other role is starting to collapse. The question isn’t whether a job involves AI – it’s whether the person doing it can work confidently alongside it.
Laura Gemmell, founder of Taught by Humans: “We’ve been talking about AI roles as if they’re all the same thing. They’re not. Most entry-level AI work isn’t building AI – it’s using it, or building things with it. Those roles are accessible, they exist right now, and the barrier to entry is lower than it’s ever been. The problem is that nobody – employers, candidates, job boards – has caught up with that yet. That’s what this programme is trying to fix.”
“Some of the best ideas in a business come from the people who've just walked through the door. Juniors see things differently, pick up new technology quickly and ask the questions everyone else has stopped asking. They're also tomorrow's senior talent. If we stop creating entry-level roles, we're storing up a skills gap for the future. This project helps employers make that investment with confidence.”
— Ben Shorrock, Managing Director at techSPARK
The programme is being designed with employers, jobseekers and local universities to make sure it actually works.
Businesses do not need to be recruiting for a dedicated AI role to get involved. Opportunities could sit across technology, data and product, but also operations, marketing, customer success and other areas where AI and digital skills are becoming increasingly valuable.
South West employers who are hiring, considering an entry-level role, or thinking about how AI is changing the skills they need: get involved. Jobseekers looking to start or develop their careers can register to build and demonstrate their skills and hear about opportunities across the region.
