Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Artificial Intelligence on graduate job opportunities.
Minister for the Economy: My department commissioned Matrix, the NI Science and Industry Panel, to assess the potential impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the labour market, including graduate job opportunities. The Panel’s report ‘Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work in Northern Ireland’ was published in September 2025 and confirmed that AI is already changing the nature of work across many sectors and occupations – including at graduate and entry-level, primarily by reshaping tasks and skill requirements rather than eliminating jobs outright.
While some routine elements of entrylevel roles are increasingly automated, the Panel’s expectation, overall, is that demand for graduate employment will continue, especially for higherlevel skills such as critical thinking, problemsolving, digital capability and the ability to work effectively alongside AI technologies.
The report also highlights risks to traditional early career pathways if skills systems and employers do not adapt at pace. In response, my department is working with further and higher education providers and has recently established an AI Advisory Panel to help shape priorities, including skills, leadership and workforce preparedness, as part of its wider approach to addressing the economic challenges and opportunities presented by AI technologies.
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