Noah Avis is a Young Conservatives campaigner and undergraduate student studying politics.
AI is the biggest technological innovation since the Industrial Revolution and, as it did then, it will change the labour market for several generations to come. The Independent reported in January 2026 that Morgan Stanley found British job losses linked to AI were double the international average. In addition, The Guardian reported that, in July, graduate job vacancies fell by 45 per cent in July compared with the same period last year. As a result, we cannot afford to resist this change as a party; the question is how we make the most of this emerging technology.
Britain has an opportunity to lead Europe by placing AI at the heart of its education and workforce plans. The world of work is changing with continued automation, with the most prevalent of these changes being seen around the number of graduate jobs. The Conservative Party is in pole position to tackle this challenge head-on as the pro-business party of Britain.
The party of economic stewardship with a firm grip on national security puts the Tories in the perfect political space to begin a serious conversation about how we address an emerging crisis that will affect both economic growth and national security. The party that can equip young people with the real skills of the future will win both the economic and broader social policy arguments, helping to rebuild support among a key part of the electorate.
Being a Conservative should mean that, when it comes to these new technologies, we do not attempt to shield people from them but equip them with the right skills to succeed in their careers. The role of government should not be to dictate how businesses respond or react to AI, but to ensure our own domestic workforce has the relevant skills to succeed.
Policymakers have been slow to react to the increasing impact of AI when it comes to graduate recruitment. Some form of policy is needed that implements AI learning into the core of our educational institutions, giving young people discipline-specific training in AI and its applications across industry. This presents the opportunity for young people to become the backbone of companies as they seek to implement AI.
According to the UK government, only 21 per cent of people in the UK workforce felt confident in their ability to use AI tools during work. This creates a new pool of talent at a time when much of the existing workforce is struggling to adapt to these changes. The Conservative Party is rooted in pro-business, fiscally responsible principles; therefore, the solution to the problem should not be to get directly involved in how corporations are restructuring to find economic efficiencies. For business to thrive in the UK we need to have a deep talent pool of people who are ready to meet the challenges posed by AI. So, what could a Conservative Party policy around AI talent generation look like?
San Jose State University (SJSU) has rolled out a new initiative integrating AI education throughout the university, from STEM subjects to the humanities. SJSU is on the frontline of grappling with AI and its effects due to its proximity to Silicon Valley. Britain needs to learn from initiatives like this, looking at how we can introduce a framework across the whole of our higher education institutions to ensure students can receive a baseline level of education around these new skills. All students should be able to graduate from higher education institutions knowing they have the required competencies. AI competence will become a globally required skill, not a niche specialism that only some may need.
A national framework would help establish clear expectations of the skills young people need to maximise their career prospects. Every student who graduates should have baseline competencies when it comes to the use of digital tools and their applications.
We, however, need to change the funding model around universities to incentivise them to equip students with the skills required for the modern workplace. We need a funding model that incentivises universities to prioritise skills that improve employability. Furthermore, bringing forward a programme that involves helping universities partner with small and medium-sized businesses that are struggling with implementation or use of emerging technologies, giving students vital experience applying skills they have learnt in real-world settings.
Fundamentally, AI will become a core part of society over the next few years and the rate at which we will see it be adopted will be unprecedented. The BBC reported that having AI skills on your CV can increase your chance of being invited to interview by up to 65 per cent. Over recent years, we have seen the way in which the EU has moved at a snail’s pace when it comes to handling AI. The opportunity to continue to capitalise on our position as a European leader of AI adoption through upskilling can put us on the front foot when it comes to our financial sector, defence and aerospace, energy and life sciences. It folds into a broader picture and messaging around defence and economic renewal of the UK and its workforce.
National security is non-negotiable. The first duty of government is the defence of our country. AI capability is not confined to being solely an economic issue but also a major national security dilemma. Processes such as defence procurement, cyber-security, intelligence, data analysis and critical infrastructure are all becoming increasingly reliant on AI.
As a result, AI capability will need to form a key part of Britain’s long-term resilience strategy. Britain is already having to confront AI-generated disinformation, emerging threats around data protection along with exposing infrastructure vulnerabilities. A state lacking these capabilities within its domestic workforce risks leaving the UK dependent on overseas talent. A Conservative Party plan that involves education for our future workforce helps demonstrate our commitment to building the resilience needed to defend against these emerging threats that affect both the private and public sectors.
The Conservative Party has often struggled to inspire young people to see it as their political home. For a long period, the party has mainly focused its discussion on the cost of living, tuition fees and housing when it comes to young people. However, all of these issues affect a much broader section of the population than recent graduates alone. A party that can speak to the future and not the past when it comes to young people will rebuild trust and inspire our next generation of graduates.
An ambitious programme that involves a framework to educate the future of our country not only helps sustain but also builds upon our national security and economic relationship we will need to develop with AI. Conservatism is not about managing change but being at the forefront of empowering people to take the opportunities presented. The question is whether Britain chooses to lead that transformation, and whether the Conservatives are prepared to make the case for an AI-skilled generation.