By Claudine Adeyemi-Adams FIEP. Guest Editor and CEO & Founder of Earlybird
It is an immense pleasure to introduce this edition of the IEP Journal as the guest editor. The theme of this journal is ‘Technology, Transformation and Innovation’ and naturally, given the current times, there is a particular focus on AI.
In my experience working at the forefront of AI innovation in employability, I have seen the excitement, misconceptions and concerns around technology and, particularly AI up close.
My own professional journey has led me to believe that our sector stands at a once-in-a-generation moment to move beyond the hype, cut through the fears, and provide a balanced and responsible view of its true potential.
The contributors to this journal collectively argue that the challenge is not AI itself, but a systemic misalignment between our current employment support models and the realities of a changing workforce. The current system is often “bureaucratic, labour intensive and unresponsive to claimant need or preference”. Meanwhile, our talent pipeline is under “unprecedented pressure from multiple converging forces”.
The journey we have curated within these pages is a roadmap through this complexity. We begin by diagnosing the problem and presenting a bold vision for AI to “back every job seeker”. We then explore how AI can enable a fundamental shift from a reactive “casework” model to proactive “systems work,” using data to address structural barriers at scale. We deepen our understanding of how AI agents can evolve how we work in employability and see these concepts in action through real-world pilots and case studies that demonstrate how AI can deliver efficiency, but not without critical lessons on the risks of misinformation and “automating our biases”.
The powerful revelation that underpins this entire collection is that AI is the clearest validation yet of why a person-centered approach is more valuable than ever. AI handles routine tasks and augments employment advisors, performing in service to those practitioners, it “liberates” them to focus on the human-centered work of building trust, providing holistic support, and navigating the complex emotional barriers that keep people from accessing and thriving at work.
I am deeply grateful to the contributors for their generosity and for sharing their insights. This journal is a collective search for the “sweet spot” between risk and opportunity, and I believe that AI and wider technological innovation can be the catalyst that empowers our profession to do what it has always done best: unlock human potential. I hope this journal serves as a starting point for dialogue as well as action, inspiring us all to embrace our role as stewards of opportunity and inclusion and enablers of economic resilience, ensuring that our services expand opportunity, rather than entrenching inequality, for all.
About the Author
CLAUDINE ADEYEMI-ADAMS FIEP Founder & CEO Earlybird AI
Claudine Adeyemi-Adams is an impact technology leader and the founder of Earlybird, an AI and Voice technology platform that empowers organisations delivering Government contracts – particularly those supporting people into work – to improve outcomes more efficiently.
Her personal journey from a low-income background to a multi award-winning legal career ignited a deep passion for social change. Having experienced homelessness and navigated the complexities of employment support programmes firsthand, she is uniquely positioned to understand the barriers many individuals face.
Claudine is the IEP Fellow of the Year and Earlybird won Digital Solution of the Year 2024 at the ERSA Employability Awards.