AI literacy & cyber safety vital for young workers

Technology and learning specialists are urging employers to treat AI literacy and online security as core skills for young people entering work. They argue that human judgment and digital confidence now sit alongside technical knowledge for those starting their careers.

World Youth Skills Day has highlighted how AI and cyber risks are reshaping expectations for school leavers, apprentices and graduates. The focus has moved beyond narrow coding or software skills.

For Frank Jaquez, Head of Talent and Culture at learning company Skillsoft, the shift is as much about human strengths as digital tools. He points to the growing use of AI across roles and sectors, from office work to frontline services.

“World Youth Skills Day is a reminder that preparing young people for the future of work is about more than technical skills alone. As AI becomes embedded in everyday work, young people will need digital and AI literacy alongside the human capabilities technology cannot replicate – critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity and, above all, judgment,” said Frank Jaquez, Head of Talent and Culture at Skillsoft.

Jaquez said basic familiarity with AI tools is no longer enough. Early-career workers, he argued, must understand how to question outputs, check sources and weigh trade-offs when using machine-generated content.

He draws a sharp line between automation and responsibility.

“AI can automate routine tasks and help people become productive faster, but it still requires context and human oversight. Judgement matters. Young people entering the workforce need to know not just how to use AI, but when to challenge its outputs, how to apply their own knowledge, and where their perspective adds value that a model cannot,” said Jaquez.

The labour market remains difficult for many young people. Jaquez cited a recent PwC Youth Employment Index showing that one in eight 16- to 24-year-olds in the UK are not in employment, education or training.

“At the same time, young people are building careers in a rapidly evolving and tight labour market, with one in eight 16- to 24-year-olds currently not in employment, education or training. As AI accelerates change, the challenge is no longer simply learning new technical skills but continually developing both the technical capabilities and human strengths that drive performance. Employers have a real role to play here – strengthening the skills supply chain by giving young people clear pathways, honest conversations about how AI may reshape their roles, and stretch opportunities to build capability. Growth doesn’t always look like a promotion; sometimes it looks like a new project, a harder problem, or a skill that opens the next door,” said Jaquez.

Leadership behaviour also comes under scrutiny. Jaquez argues that senior staff must share their own experiences with AI tools so younger workers feel able to experiment and admit mistakes.

“Leaders also have to model the behaviour they want to see. When senior people share how they’re actually using AI – what worked, what didn’t, where they had to apply their own judgment – it creates the psychological safety for younger employees to experiment and learn out loud. And learning has to live inside the moments that already matter: working through a difficult challenge, presenting an idea, collaborating across teams, using AI to solve a problem, or stepping into a responsibility for the first time. When it feels like part of the work rather than added to it, curiosity and continuous learning stop being buzzwords and start becoming habits. That’s how we help young people grow alongside AI – and build careers that can keep evolving with it,” said Jaquez.

Alongside workplace skills, security specialists warn that everyday digital habits can expose young people to fraud and misinformation. AI, they say, now shapes both sides of the online safety equation.

Adrian Podkaminer, Head of Security at digital marketplace G2A.COM, said “digital confidence” is becoming as important as academic or vocational qualifications.

“Today, digital confidence is one of the most important skills young people can develop. World Youth Skills Day is not just about preparing them for future jobs; it’s about equipping them with skills to navigate the online world they’re already part of. From shopping online and using AI to study, create content or apply for jobs, to deciding what information to trust, being confident online is part of everyday life.

“AI is increasingly shaping how young people learn and create, whether that’s using chatbots to summarise revision notes or lecture recordings to generate creative ideas. But the same technology is also making online scams harder to spot, with AI-generated phishing emails, convincing deepfakes and fake messages that can appear genuine at first glance.

“That’s why being confident online today is about more than simply using technology. It’s about questioning what you see, protecting your personal information and building simple habits, such as using strong passwords and enabling multi-factor authentication, that make it much harder for criminals to take advantage.

“At G2A, we see firsthand how AI is transforming both digital commerce and cybercrime. As cybercriminals rapidly adapt to new tools and changing online behaviours, sharing practical advice is just as important as developing effective security measures. Informed users remain one of the strongest defences against online threats. The next generation won’t be defined by how quickly they adopt new technology, but by how confidently they can separate what’s helpful from what’s harmful,” said Adrian Podkaminer, Head of Security at G2A.COM.