Opening New Pathways: Early-Career Tech in an AI World
New Research from NPower and the Burning Glass Institute maps how AI is changing early-career tech roles across sectors, revealing which jobs are most exposed, which are most resilient and where the biggest opportunities for mobility and equity lie, including the important role of apprenticeships.
Released April 2026
About the Report
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming tech work, but not in the way the headlines suggest. Instead of limiting opportunity, AL is reshaping tasks, job content and the pathways people can take through their careers. This research from NPower and Burning Glass Institute (BGI) analyzes 52 tech roles and 500+ underlying skills to show where AI is automating work, where is it augmenting humans and how early-career roles can become launchpads (not dead ends) for skilled talent.
What you’ll learn:
- Which early-career tech roles are most and least exposed to AI and what that means for hiring, training and advancement.
- How “career lattices” are replacing linear ladders, offering lateral moves into governance, workflow, cyber, cloud and data roles.
- That value of redesigning Tech Apprenticeships to offer sustained opportunity that benefits both talent and employers.
- How NPower is using these insights in its AI-integrated training for employers seeking top talent.
