From classroom to career: integrating AI in education for social mobility
Across the UK, many young people are denied access to the training, knowledge and networks needed to thrive in the workplace. Charities like the EY Foundation provide employability skills training to support young people from low-income backgrounds to succeed, but the world of work they are about to enter is changing at an unprecedented pace.
Artificial Intelligence is already changing the way we work, and by the time young people starting their secondary school education today enter the workforce, the workplace could be unrecognizable. Whether AI will be a great equalizer, or whether it will widen the chasm of inequality, is a question we raised in a previous blog; How does AI impact social mobility? The answer to this question is as yet unknown, meaning we still have the ability to shape the outcome and ensure a more equal future.
As a charity working directly with young people, many of whom are in education, we recognise the unique role the education sector must play in this evolving landscape.
Following research exploring the current education system and the impact AI is likely to have on the workplace, we identified two key recommendations for what needs to happen within education to ensure an inclusive future.
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Guarantee Universal Access to AI for All Young People
Unlike traditional technologies, AI evolves through interactive learning, which requires the active participation of diverse societal groups to be effective and equitable1. Recent advances in generative AI, such as large language models, highlight the need for inclusive access as these tools can significantly enhance learning by supporting diverse learning needs.
Without equitable access to certified AI tools, students from low-income backgrounds risk being left behind, unable to benefit from AI's potential. The persistent inequality in access to digital technology and connectivity underscores the urgency of creating inclusive digital learning environments. Ensuring all students have access to AI relies on addressing several key areas, including:
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Infrastructure: Investing in digital infrastructure, including reliable internet access and adequate devices, is crucial.
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Training and support: Educators and students need training to effectively use AI tools. Professional development for teachers and digital literacy programs for students are essential components of this effort.
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Policy and Regulation: Governments must develop policies that promote equitable access to AI while safeguarding against potential risks. This includes establishing standards for the ethical use of AI in education and ensuring data privacy and security.
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Mandate AI Education in the National Curriculum
AI in education must be guided by the core principles of inclusion and equity and must equip all young people with core competences in AI. This requires going further than a passive policy of setting guidelines and best practice for schools, instead requiring AI to become a part of the core curriculum, taught in every school, to every student. Specific focus should be placed on overcoming barriers to engagement that can be disproportionately experienced by marginalised groups. For example, our previous work exploring the impact of the metaverse on young people from low-oncome backgrounds2 found building an internal desire to engage, often referred to as ‘intrinsic motivation’3, was crucial. A focus on building intrinsic motivation in the curriculum will help to ensure all students recognise how AI is relevant their future.
The following actions are recommended:
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Place human-centric skills at the core of all learning: Education is and should remain a fundamentally human endeavour and helping young people learn how to live and thrive in a world impacted by AI requires a focus on human-centric interpersonal skills. In a world increasingly shaped by AI, employers are most likely to require employees who have strong human-centric interpersonal skills and high emotional intelligence. These skills should be weaved throughout the curriculum to prepare young people for the workplace of the future.
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Mandatory AI Curriculum: AI should be included as a mandatory subject in the national curriculum, with a progressive structure that starts with basic AI concepts in primary education and advances to more complex topics in secondary education. This curriculum should cover the mechanics of AI, ethical considerations, and practical applications across various fields, with an emphasis on monitoring and evaluating to ensure the curriculum adapts to the evolving landscape of AI technology. Over time the teaching of all subjects across the curriculum should be augmented by carefully curated and certified AI tools.
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Maintaining teacher agency: Quality interactions between teachers and students are the foundations for effective learning. AI should be used to assist teachers by handling administrative tasks and providing insights into student performance, allowing teachers to focus more on critical human interactions.
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Inclusive Engagement: Efforts should be made to engage marginalized communities in AI education initiatives. This includes providing additional support to schools serving high deprivation areas and promoting initiatives that encourage underrepresented groups to pursue studies in AI and related fields.
While the potential benefits of AI in education are significant, it is essential to approach the integration of these technologies with caution. The ethical implications of AI in education must be carefully considered to ensure that these technologies are used responsibly and do not harm students. This includes adhering to data privacy laws, ensuring AI systems are transparent, and conducting regular assessments to identify and mitigate any potential negative impacts.
Of course, education is only one area in which action is needed, the private and beyond profit sectors have important roles to play in shaping the future. We are leading the way in this work through several projects including working with private sector organisations to address current gaps in the education of young people from low-income backgrounds through piloting effective approaches to building human-centric skills like Emotional Intelligence. We have also worked over the past decade to improve the diversity of the tech workforce through our tech sector work experience programmes.
Artificial Intelligence could be a disruptive game changer for improving social mobility, but only if we work to guide its development. Over the coming months we will share further recommendations about how AI can enhance social mobility and build a fairer future for all.
To find out more about our work, visit eyfoundation.com.
Dive deeper with more AI insights:
If you're interested in AI adoption you can find more insights on our AI Campaign Week page, here:
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To help promote greater levels of responsible AI adoption, techUK is working alongside its members and key stakeholders across the AI ecosystem to demonstrate the significant benefits of this technology for both the economy and society. The best way to stay up to date with our work is to visit our AI Adoption Hub.
Call for AI Adoption case studies:
As part of techUK’s 2024 AI Campaign Week, we are launching a call for techUK member case studies, to demonstrate how organisations are tackling the barriers to AI adoption to maximise AI's potential. These case studies will be showcased to UK organisations that are also embarking on their AI adoption journeys, providing them with practical examples and insights to guide their Putting AI into Action efforts. Learn more here.
techUK - Putting AI into Action
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techUK is coordinating a calendar of events, reports, and insights to demonstrate some of the most significant opportunities for AI adoption in 2024, as well as working with key stakeholders to identify and address current barriers to adoption.
Visit our AI Adoption Hub to learn more, or find our latest activity below.
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Contact the team
Usman Ikhlaq
Usman Ikhlaq
Usman joined techUK in January 2024 as Programme Manager for Artificial Intelligence.
His role is to help techUK members of all sizes and across all sectors to adopt AI at scale. This includes identifying the barriers to adoption, considering solutions and how best to maximise AI's potential.
Prior to joining techUK, Usman worked as a policy, government affairs and public affairs professional in the advertising sector. He has also worked in sales and marketing and FinTech.
Usman is a graduate of the London School of Economics and Political Science (MSc), BPP Law School (GDL and LLB) and Queen Mary University of London (BA).
When he isn’t working, Usman enjoys spending time with his family and friends. He also has a keen interest in running, reading and travelling.
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Authors
Lynne Peabody
Lynne Peabody is the CEO of youth employment charity, EY Foundation. Lynne joined the charity in March 2014 ahead of its launch in July and, prior to taking on the CEO role, was a member of the Leadership Team, with responsibility for the charity’s strategic partnerships and collaborations, the diversification of income streams, and expanding the Foundation’s work with employers. Having worked in the sustainability and not-for-profit field for 12+ years, she is passionate about the potential of cross-sector partnerships and the role businesses can play in helping to drive social change.
