The Entry-Level Squeeze on ICT Workforce and the Importance of Keeping a Graduate Talent Pipeline

This IDC Market Note examines the current state of play for entry-level jobs in ICT. AI-driven automation is shrinking entry-level ICT roles, threatening the graduate talent pipeline and long-term workforce sustainability. As employers demand job-ready, AI-fluent hires but cut junior positions, organizations risk eroding knowledge transfer and innovation. Strategic redesign of early-career pathways, including AI-era apprenticeships and structured learning, is essential to maintain capability, resilience, and leadership. Protecting entry-level talent is now a critical imperative for ICT firms navigating generative AI's disruption. "As AI erases entry-level ICT roles, are we risking a 'missing generation' of talent - and undermining the very foundations of future innovation and leadership?" said Leonardo Freitas, research manager, IDC's Employee Experience Management Strategies.