You might have seen the headlines. Big tech companies like Atlassian, Wisetech, Amazon, and Meta have cut thousands of jobs. It sounds pretty scary, especially if you have a child thinking about a future in technology. But, as usual, the headlines are designed to get attention and don’t always tell the whole story. The tech job market isn’t disappearing. It’s changing shape. And for young people like yours, that’s actually really exciting news.
It’s a shift, not a shutdown
In reality companies are cutting some of the older, more routine roles and putting that money into new areas like artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and data analytics.
Globally, across multiple industries the Word Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report 2025 projected that 92 million jobs may be eliminated and 170 million new ones created by 2030 due to AI and other technological advancements. This is called labour market churn. Meaning that jobs aren’t just doing a disappearing act, rather industries are having a makeover.
What tech jobs are actually in demand?
The roles that are growing fastest right now are ones that involve building, using, or managing AI. Some of the most sought-after jobs include AI and machine learning engineers (people who design systems that use artificial intelligence), cybersecurity specialists (people who protect computers and networks from attacks), data scientists (people who find patterns and meaning in huge amounts of information), and cloud architects (people who manage how companies store and use data online).
There are also newer roles you might not have heard of yet, like prompt engineers — the people who write instructions to get the best results from AI tools; AI ethicists, who make sure AI is used fairly and safely. These jobs didn’t really exist ten years ago. In another ten years, there will probably be roles we haven’t even thought of yet.
It’s not just about coding
AI can already write code, so some of the more “traditional” tech roles are becoming less of a focus. Employers are still looking for employees with very human skills. Things like communication, empathy, decision-making, and creativity, which are all skills that AI struggles to replicate, making them incredibly valuable.
But it’s highly likely that AI literacy will become a much more common feature in job adverts and specifications. It just means being comfortable using AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude to get things done. You don’t have to be a programmer to be AI literate, you just need to be curious and willing to learn. Although having some certifications or examples of where you’ve already demonstrated your AI capabilities will be great additions to resumes and job applications.
Adaptability is also huge. The ability to keep learning as the world changes is one of the most important things you can bring to any job in the future. Because who knows where we’ll be in 10 or 20 years from now.
Which jobs are at risk?
As with any period of change, some jobs are more at risk than others. Roles that involve doing the same tasks repetitively like data entry, bookkeeping, or some aspects of customer support are the kinds of jobs most likely to be automated. Research suggests that entry-level positions and middle management roles may shrink in some organisations.
But that doesn’t mean those careers are gone forever. It means the people doing them will need to adapt and grow into different kinds of work. That’s actually been true throughout history, every major technological change has reshuffled the job market, and people have always found new ways to contribute.
What this means for your young people
Students now are at a brilliant point in their life to start thinking about this. They don’t need to have everything figured out, not even close. But it’s worth knowing that the skills they are building in school, like problem-solving, working with others, thinking critically, and being curious, are exactly what employers in the future will be looking for.
Tech is no longer just for people who want to sit alone and write code (though that’s still an option). It’s for communicators, creatives, critical thinkers, and carers too. The future of tech needs all kinds of people.
Learn more about what’s possible
The best thing you and young people can do right now is explore. Keep an open mind, be optimistic, and start looking at a variety of careers. Encourage children to ask questions, and stay curious. The tech world is wide open, and there’s likely to be a place in it for them.
To discover more about jobs and careers in technology and beyond, head to our Jobs & Careers page and start exploring what’s out there.
