You will no doubt have noticed that the career landscape your child is preparing for is changing faster than ever before. The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) can sound daunting, but in reality, it opens up an exciting world of new possibilities. Understanding this change is the first step towards helping your child thrive in a future full of opportunity.
Despite some of the headlines, AI is not a threat to careers, it’s a catalyst for change. While certain routine tasks may become automated, AI is already creating new, more fulfilling roles that enhance rather than replace human potential. Across almost every sector, technology is helping people work more creatively, efficiently, and collaboratively.
New Pathways, New Opportunities
AI is driving significant growth in the digital and technology sectors, and with it, a rise in degree and higher-level apprenticeships. These now include areas such as Data Science, AI Engineering, and Cyber Security — fields that are well-paid, future-proof, and increasingly supported by employers.
Through schemes like the Apprenticeship Levy and the government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, the focus is shifting towards developing AI-related skills through further and higher education. This means that pathways into exciting careers no longer follow one single route — whether through university, apprenticeships, or blended learning, there are more options than ever before.
Skills, Not Just Degrees
Employers are becoming less focused on job titles and more focused on skills. While AI can process information faster, it can’t replicate the qualities that make us human, our creativity, critical thinking, empathy, and moral judgement.
The skills most in demand today are:
Critical thinking and ethical decision-making – knowing when and how to use AI responsibly.
Creativity and problem-solving – using technology as a tool to find innovative solutions.
Communication and collaboration – the human skills that remain central to every organisation.
At Durham School, these qualities are nurtured through our MARK values – Moral Integrity, Ambition, Responsibility, and Kindness. They are the foundation of our teaching and pastoral care, and they prepare pupils to make wise choices, lead with empathy, and adapt confidently to change. Our Life and Work Education (LWE) programme, enrichment opportunities, and co-curricular life, from debating and drama to leadership roles in sport and societies — ensure pupils develop the integrity, curiosity, and compassion that will define future success.
Helping Your Child Prepare
- Encourage curiosity about technology.
AI isn’t something to fear, but to understand. Encourage your child to engage with it critically, to question, explore, and learn how to use it responsibly. Across the curriculum, our pupils are already learning about digital ethics, data security, and how AI can be used as a professional tool.
- Build human-centred skills.
No algorithm can replicate imagination, empathy, or teamwork. Participation in clubs, performing arts, volunteering, and leadership roles builds resilience and communication, the very skills employers now prize most.
- Explore diverse routes and experiences.
A university degree remains a strong pathway, but it’s no longer the only one. Encourage your child to explore apprenticeships, work experience, and employer encounters. Seeing how professionals are already using AI in real-world settings can spark inspiration and direction.
Through our Careers and Futures Programme, pupils benefit from a wide range of talks, events, and experiences designed to connect them with industries embracing technological change. We want every student to leave Durham equipped not only with knowledge and skill, but also with the confidence, integrity, and kindness to lead in this new world of work.
A Final Thought
Heather Adkins, Vice President of Security Engineering at Google, once compared her work in cyber security to her passion for studying medieval history:
“We know very little about this period of time in history because nobody kept good records. It’s similar to investigating a system compromise, piecing together a puzzle from limited evidence.”
Her point is simple: curiosity, persistence, and problem-solving transcend disciplines. These timeless qualities, the same we champion through our MARK values, are what will allow young people to thrive, not just survive, in the age of AI.
Mr Stuart Macnair
Head of Politics and Careers