WorkSeptember 1, 2026via Financial Times Technology
Business schools face demand for higher, ‘human’ skills
Why it matters
AI is reshaping the skills market faster than education can respond. Entry-level jobs that once trained junior managers are disappearing, forcing business schools to teach judgment, stakeholder management, and complex problem-solving earlier—or risk graduating unemployable candidates.
Key signals
- Entry-level tasks being eroded by AI
- Employers seeking 'tier two' (mid-career) abilities in graduates
- Business schools redesigning curriculum in response
- Skills gap: judgment, stakeholder management, complex reasoning now entry-level requirements
- Traditional on-the-job learning pathway disrupted
- Entry-level tasks eroding due to AI automation
- Employer demand shifting to 'tier two' or higher-order skills
- Masters in management (MiM) programs under pressure to evolve curriculum
- Skills once acquired in first jobs now expected at graduation
- Published Sep 2026 — emerging trend in workforce development
The hook
Business schools are racing to redesign curricula as AI eliminates entry-level work—and employers now demand 'tier two' skills that used to be learned on the job.
As AI erodes entry-level tasks, employers want ‘tier two’ abilities that young masters in management graduates once learnt at work