Navigating AI’s Impact: Guidance for Entry Level Employees and Graduates in Australia

28.07.25 12:50 PM - By Linq HR

Why the concern matters - and how it looks in Australia

 While many entry level roles in administration, data entry, and client support are declining, Australia’s Supply Chain, Manufacturing, and Engineering sectors are undergoing an AI enabled transformation that brings both disruption and opportunity.

Manufacturing
AI is enabling predictive maintenance, smart scheduling, and robotic process automation on factory floors.
This reduces demand for repetitive or entry level coordination roles, such as basic production schedulers or junior quality officers.
However, demand is increasing for AI literate technicians, data enabled supervisors, and those who can interface between machine data and production systems.

Supply Chain & Logistics
AI and machine learning are used in route optimisation, inventory forecasting, and automated warehousing.
Entry level roles in logistics planning, stock control, and customer service are being reshaped or replaced.
Yet roles that combine human insight with AI oversight, such as data augmented logistics coordinators or systems support for AI enabled supply platforms are growing.

Engineering
Traditional CAD work and basic simulation analysis are increasingly automated by AI tools.
Junior engineers once responsible for repetitive calculations or drafting may see those tasks reduced.

However, engineers who can leverage AI to model complex systems, test failure scenarios, or optimise designs using generative tools will be in strong demand.

In all three sectors, automation is not eliminating work but shifting expectations. The entry pathway is no longer routine tasks, it’s often working alongside AI systems from day one.

Practical Tips to Adapt and Thrive
1. Focus on AI complementary skills (problem solving, collaboration, adaptability). 
AI handles repetition; humans are needed for judgement and escalation. 
Engineering: Problem solving in unforeseen system faults 
Manufacturing: Continuous improvement teams
Supply Chain: Human judgement on high risk routing

2. Build AI fluency and technical certifications
AI literate workers are highly sought after.
Manufacturing: Learn SCADA analytics, IoT platforms
Engineering: CAD with AI simulation tools (e.g. Fusion 360)
Supply Chain: Familiarity with WMS or ERP AI modules

3. Pursue work based training and apprenticeships
Vocational pathways remain strong in Australia, especially in tech driven trades.
Apprenticeships in mechatronics, AI integrated maintenance, or logistics systems support are viable alternatives to traditional degrees.

4. Volunteer or project work in AI aligned initiatives
Employers value initiative and evidence of practical experience.
University AI clubs, Hackathons, or industry challenges help demonstrate readiness.

5. Cultivate a human AI collaboration mindset
The future workforce will be hybrid.
Don’t aim to outpace AI, learn to supervise it: e.g. knowing when to override an automated decision in logistics or adjust AI driven forecasts.

6. Target growth areas within your sector
Some entry points are narrowing, others expanding.
Manufacturing: Smart factories
Engineering: Generative design, robotics
Supply Chain: Digital twins, AI supported sourcing

Opportunities Ahead
For Australia’s future workforce, especially in core sectors like manufacturing, supply chain and engineering, AI is not simply a threat, it’s a new tool that demands a new kind of readiness. Entry level employees who embrace adaptability, develop AI compatible technical skills, and contribute to human AI team environments will be well placed.

Employers, for their part, must continue investing in graduate pipelines, apprenticeships, and AI skilling programs to avoid long term capability gaps.

For today’s students and early career professionals: don’t fear the bots, learn to guide them.

📩 Contact Linq HR today to explore tailored support for your employee relations, workplace management, or permanent roles recruitment.

      🌐 Visit: www.linqhr.com

📞 Call: 1300234566
References
ABC News (2025) ‘AI risks ‘broken’ career ladder for college graduates’, ABC News, 6 June. Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-21/ai-job-fears-accelerate-white-collar-grad-roles-threatened/105440772 (Accessed: 26 July 2025).
Bomey, N. (2025) ‘Artificial intelligence could upend entry‑level work…’, ABC News, 6 June.
Hudicka, J. (2025) ‘How AI reshapes internships and entry‑level jobs’, Forbes, 14 May.
Economic Times (2025) ‘AI versus first jobbers: How Gen Z can thrive in the age of automation’, The Economic Times, 8 June.
News.com.au (2025) ‘OpenAI CEO Sam Altman predicts entire job categories will be totally gone’, News.com.au, 24 July.
Bain, M. and Lee, H. (2025) ‘Skill-driven certification pathways for the AI era’, arXiv preprint, arXiv:2412.19754. Available at: https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.19754 
Mäkelä, E. and Stephany, F. (2024) ‘Complement or substitute? How AI increases the demand for human skills’, arXiv preprint, arXiv:2312.11942. Available at: https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.11942