With the latest government figures revealing that more than one million young people are out of work, upskilling is high on the government’s agenda. According to Jonny Phillips, Managing Director at UK training provider Strive Training, the skills needed to rejoin the workforce aren’t highly technical or out of reach for the majority of jobseekers. In fact, many of them are skills that people already have, and just need the confidence to apply to work.
“A lot of talk relates to the skills needed to beat AI job cuts, but those outside of work are now planning to join a workplace that often looks and feels different to previous years and makes use of new technologies like AI,” explains Phillips. “For those people, it’s crucial that they feel work isn’t out of reach, that AI hasn’t shut them out and that they understand the skills required to become an essential part of the workforce in 2026 and beyond.
“Terms like ‘upskilling’ for example can mean a multitude of different things. Jobseekers need clear, tangible and practical goals that feel attainable and can be put into practice quickly so that they have the confidence to use AI. As a training provider, there’s a clear path to AI upskilling and it isn’t out of reach for anyone.”
Below, Phillips outlines the top five skills you need to take AI into the workplace.
- Confidence
Philips: “AI can be daunting for many, particularly those outside of work. Effective AI use requires the willingness to start in the first place.
“Rather than being shut out altogether by tools and systems that you don’t understand, people need to feel as though they are equipped to work with AI systems. People who approach AI with confidence are able to get real value from it, rather than feeling left frustrated and shut out of work.”
- Critical thinking
Philips: “AI can write an email or analyse a data set and write recommendations at speed, but it can also be wrong, introduce biases and deliver information that isn’t quite right for the task at hand.
“The ability to evaluate what AI produces critically and know when human influence might be needed is a critical part of using it in a productive way. The majority of tools now include references back to the source information, for example. Being able to access and evaluate those is a crucial part of AI literacy.”
- Communication
Philips: “AI tools respond to what you give them and poorly worded prompts will only work to produce unhelpful responses. The ability to articulate your objective, add in the relevant context and create prompts that work is key to getting responses that will actually support your role.
“Communication skills are still as important as ever in the workplace, particularly when getting to grips with the tools shaping modern roles.”
- Caution
Philips: “Knowing when to use AI and when it may be more hinderance than help is itself a skill that is increasingly needed in the workplace. There are many tasks where AI might not be appropriate or even secure if it involves handling sensitive information.
“Understanding issues like data privacy, bias and being able to validate information means you can harness AI without creating risk for yourself or the organisation you might work for.”
- Curiosity
Philips: “AI tools are changing rapidly and new applications for the technology are launching with regularity. The people that get the most from them are those who approach them with a willingness and confidence to explore, ask unexpected questions and test out exactly what is possible.
“Maintaining a curious mind can mean unlocking a new use-case, finding a new way to save time or deliver better results. We’re still in a discovery phase for a lot of these tools, questioning and exploring should be encouraged.”