AI could make it harder for Kenyan graduates to land their first job, global report warns

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the nature of entry-level work.

 This is raising concerns that Kenyan graduates could find it even harder to secure their first jobs unless employers, universities and policymakers move quickly to adapt.

 A new report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) warns that AI is transforming entry-level jobs, which have traditionally served as stepping stones into the labour market.

 Globally, the study finds that more than one in three young workers (37 per cent) are employed in occupations with medium to high exposure to AI-driven task changes.

 Among the sectors with the highest exposure are financial services, ICT, professional services, science and education.

 However, entry-level roles in sectors such as agriculture, construction and food services are comparatively less affected.

 "How these roles and pathways evolve will have significant implications for organisational performance, workforce participation and economic mobility," the report notes.

 Rather than replacing entire professions, the study shows AI is increasingly taking over routine tasks performed by junior employees, prompting many organisations to rethink graduate recruitment and redesign entry-level roles.

 The report is titled The Future of Entry-Level Work: A Framework for Safeguarding and Reinventing Entry Career Pathways.

 The warning comes at a particularly sensitive time for Kenya.

 Data from the Commission for University Education and the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics indicate that between 500,000 and 800,000 graduates enter the labour market every year.

 The figure includes university degree holders, TVET graduates and students completing certificate and diploma programmes.

 Yet the economy has struggled to create enough formal jobs to absorb the growing number of young jobseekers.

 Statistics put the country's open unemployment rate at about 5.4 to 5.5 per cent. However, the broader labour underutilisation rate—which includes discouraged

jobseekers and people working fewer hours than they would like—ranges between 23 and 30 per cent.

 The overwhelming majority of employed Kenyans continue to work in the informal economy.

 Against that backdrop, the WEF raises questions about whether young people will continue to have access to the first rung of the career ladder.

 Entry-level positions have traditionally enabled graduates to gain practical workplace experience, develop professional judgment and acquire skills that cannot be learned in school.

 However, as AI automates routine tasks such as drafting documents, analysing data, coding simple software, preparing reports and responding to customer enquiries, employers are increasingly reassessing the number and type of junior workers they require.

 Those findings are echoed by the International Labour Organization (ILO), which says AI represents another major technological transition whose impact on employment will depend largely on the policy choices governments, employers and workers make.

 In a report prepared for the 114^th International Labour Conference, the ILO argues that artificial intelligence should not be viewed simply as a threat to employment.

 Like previous technological revolutions, it is likely to create new jobs, eliminate others and fundamentally change how existing work is performed.

 The organisation stresses that technological change does not determine labour market outcomes on its own. Institutions, governance and public policy also play an equally important role.

 The agency, however, identifies young workers as among those most vulnerable during the transition.

 It notes that junior and entry-level positions in highly digitalised sectors often consist of routine cognitive tasks that are particularly susceptible to automation.

 If these jobs decline without new pathways being created, young people may struggle to gain the practical experience needed for career progression and long-term skills development.

 That warning carries particular significance for Kenya, where employers have long cited a lack of experience as one of the biggest barriers to hiring fresh graduates.

 A graduate who once began a career as a junior accountant, legal assistant, software developer, journalist or customer service officer may now find many of the routine responsibilities associated with those jobs performed faster by AI-powered systems.

 The WEF says businesses should resist the temptation to simply reduce graduate hiring because doing so risks weakening future talent pipelines.

 Instead, employers should redesign entry-level work to ensure young professionals continue developing judgement, interpersonal skills and sector-specific expertise that artificial intelligence cannot easily replicate.

 The ILO raises an additional concern for developing countries such as Kenya.

 It warns that low- and middle-income economies could experience AI's disruptive effects before fully enjoying its productivity gains.

 This is because many workers and businesses still lack reliable digital infrastructure, advanced skills and access to AI technologies.

 That imbalance, it says, risks widening existing inequalities both within countries and between advanced and developing economies.

 The report also notes that limited digital infrastructure could become a constraint, preventing workers and businesses from benefiting from AI-driven productivity improvements.

 The findings come as Kenya seeks to position itself as a regional artificial intelligence hub through its National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025–2030, which emphasises digital infrastructure, AI innovation and talent development.

 The ILO argues that governments should complement skills development with stronger labour market institutions, expanded public employment services, lifelong learning programmes and social protection systems capable of supporting first-time jobseekers.

 It further argues that training alone cannot solve employment challenges unless it is accompanied by policies that stimulate investment, enterprise growth and the creation of decent jobs.

The two reports point to an urgent need to rethink university curricula so that graduates leave campus not only proficient in AI tools but also equipped with analytical thinking, creativity, communication and ethical judgement. These skills remain difficult to automate.

 The challenge, however, will be for employers to harness AI to improve productivity without closing the traditional pathways into employment.