Helping Young People Find Their Way In A Changing Job Market
By Kumar Garg
What to study, whether to go to college, and which career to pursue – young adults today are being asked to make some of the biggest decisions of their lives just as artificial intelligence is reshaping both education and the workforce. A recent report, The Broken Marketplace, found that over 40 percent of young people say the education system and employment resources fail to provide them with the guidance they need to make smart decisions about school and careers.
As AI changes which jobs exist, which skills matter, and how people prepare for them, it’s time to rethink how students get career advice. Career navigation platforms built on relevant, real-world data and human insight can help guide young people toward real, attainable, and rewarding careers.
As of yet, such platforms don’t exist. But they’re coming.
With support by the Schultz Family Foundation, Renaissance Philanthropy launched CareerNet, an effort to create curated datasets in three high-growth career fields: healthcare, computer science, and reskilling. The data comes from CareerVillage, which crowdsources answers to thousands of questions about almost every career imaginable, and supported by The Learning Agency.
In early 2026, curated and annotated versions of CareerVillage’s datasets will be made publicly available so that developers can create a new generation of AI-powered career navigation tools. By learning from thousands of real questions and authentic experiences, AI systems trained on these datasets can better help young people find relevant, trustworthy, and inclusive answers to their career questions. (More on the CareerNet data sets here, and reach out to ulrich@renphil.org with any questions.)
This is a crucial step toward closing the guidance gap. When AI systems are built on open, high-quality data rather than opaque algorithms, they can serve as public goods by helping every learner trying to chart a path for success in the modern economy.
The need for datasets like those coming from CareerNet is growing, because AI’s impact on the labor market is unmistakable. OpenAI – the company behind ChatGPT recently ran a benchmark test where human experts and AI systems were asked to complete complex, specific tasks, like drafting a legal brief, an engineering blueprint, or a nursing care plan. The test found that while humans out performed AI, the gap between people and machines is closing fast.
In fields like software engineering and customer service, that gap has already gone, particularly in entry-level positions where many young workers begin their careers. The World Economic Forum recently reported 40 percent of employers said they expect to reduce their workforce where AI can automate tasks. Across the economy, nearly 50 million U.S. jobs could be reshaped in the coming years, according to a report in Harvard Business Review.
This wave of automation and augmentation is disrupting job ladders and employer expectations. “Safe” or “stable” career paths may be a thing of the past. The jobs that once built middle-class security may not look the same a decade from now, and entirely new careers are emerging faster than schools, parents, or counselors can track.
Yet our system for helping young people navigate these choices remains largely static. According to a recent Gallup poll, 40 percent of high school students give their schools mediocre or failing grades in career guidance, and nearly as many parents agree. The same survey found that 83 percent of parents still expect their children to go to college, showing that cultural expectations haven’t caught up with economic reality. Many students feel pressure to pursue degrees even when the path forward is unclear or the return on investment uncertain.
Just as AI is reshaping the job market and career trajectories, it may also help young people find answers. Artificial intelligence can analyze massive datasets, from labor market analytics to firsthand career advice, to deliver guidance that is personal, accurate, and equitable. Instead of static career assessments or one-size-fits-all counseling, AI systems can help every student see realistic pathways tailored to their goals, abilities, and circumstances.
The U.S. cannot afford a generation of students guessing their way through a shifting job landscape. Without better tools, millions risk spending years and tuition dollars preparing for roles that may disappear, or missing out on fast-growing fields because they are unaware of the opportunities.
The same technologies that are disrupting the labor market can also make career advising smarter, more personalized, and more equitable. As AI reshapes the nature of work itself, it should also redefine how young people prepare for their careers.
