AI isn’t just changing how we work – it’s changing whether the skills we studied for are still relevant. New research from UNSW College has found that 73% of Australian workers expect their job to change over the next five years, and more than half (57%) believe they’ll need a “Career Plan B” to stay ahead of it.
If that stat makes you want to quietly reopen LinkedIn Learning, you’re not alone – and the data backs up that instinct.
The tech-confidence gap is real
Here’s the uncomfortable bit: despite AI and automation reshaping entire industries, only 14% of workers rank experience with emerging technologies like AI as a top factor in being work-ready – well behind hands-on experience (30%) and a general willingness to learn (22%). It suggests a lot of Australians know AI matters, but aren’t necessarily confident they’re building the right skills around it.
That uncertainty is showing up generationally too. Gen Z – the cohort you’d expect to be most digitally fluent – is actually the least confident group when it comes to feeling prepared by their education, with half (50%) saying their original study pathway hasn’t set them up for today’s workforce. Millennials aren’t far behind at 47%.
Add to that: only 35% of workers are currently doing any kind of professional training or development, despite 89% agreeing that continuous learning is essential to staying relevant. There’s a real gap between knowing upskilling matters and actually carving out time to do it – which tracks, when you’re also trying to keep up with how fast the tools themselves are moving.
Why “just add AI” isn’t the answer
The research points to something more nuanced than “everyone needs to learn to prompt ChatGPT.” Australians aren’t just after AI literacy in isolation – they want education that combines tech fluency with real, applied experience. Hands-on learning still ranks as the number one thing that makes workers feel work-ready, ahead of tech skills or qualifications alone. In other words: understanding AI matters, but knowing how to actually use it in a live work environment is what makes it stick.
That’s the gap UNSW College is aiming to close with its new Applied Degrees, launching in October 2026. Two of the first three degrees are squarely tech-focused:
- IT Cyber Defence and Networking
- IT Software Development
- Business Management
Each is a three-year bachelor’s degree that universities develop with industry partners and build around Work-Integrated Learning – so students don’t just study tech theory; they apply it through real placements and industry projects alongside their coursework.
UNSW College CEO Sarah Lightfoot says the shift reflects the urgent need for the education sector to build flexible pathways that keep pace with technological change, rather than teach students for a snapshot of the workforce that may no longer exist by graduation.
Career coach Kate Richardson, who works with people navigating career pivots, notes that a tech-driven Plan B doesn’t need to mean an overnight reinvention – it starts with identifying where your current skills overlap with where the tech is heading, and finding education that lets you build confidence in that space through actual practice, not just theory.
The takeaway for anyone eyeing a tech pivot
Whether you’re already working in tech and want to stay ahead, or you’re considering a switch into IT or cyber from a completely different field, the research suggests the winning formula isn’t just “learn AI” – it’s pairing tech skills with genuine, hands-on industry experience.
Applied Degrees in IT Cyber Defence and Networking and IT Software Development launch in October 2026. More info at unswcollege.edu.au/study/applied-degrees.
This research was conducted by YouGov Plc among a sample of 1,003 Australian workers aged 18+, with fieldwork carried out online between 16–24 June 2026. Figures have been weighted to be nationally representative.
