UK's young workers opt for skilled trades amid worries over job losses due to Al

In a labour market where artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly transforming and sometimes replacing jobs, student Maryna Yaroshenko wanted to find a future-proof career that offered long-term stability.

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Like a growing number of young people in Britain and beyond, the 18-year-old opted for a skilled trade and is now training to become a plumber.

"That is something Al won't take over," said Ms Yaroshenko, who is originally from Ukraine and is studying at the City of Westminster College (CWC) in London.

White-collar jobs are viewed as more vulnerable to disruption by AI and automation than manual labour.

In Britain, one in six employers expect the use of Al tools to allow them to reduce their headcount in the next 12 months, according to a survey in November conducted by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, a professional human resources body.

Ms Yaroshenko sees Al as a useful tool, but not one that could replace the hands-on nature of plumbing, which many shy away from due to its physical demands and a lingering stigma around trades such as electrical work, carpentry and welding.

She said: "We will definitely work with it (AI) but only a human can make those unique things AI cannot.

"No AI can do plumbing, no Al can do real engineering, no Al can be an electrician."

CWC, part of the United Colleges Group, is a further education and training institution rather than a university.