UK employers value AI skills over grades, study shows

Marketing Signals has urged students disappointed by their exam results to focus on practical experience and AI skills rather than grades, as UK employers place less weight on formal qualifications in recruitment.

Research cited by the digital marketing agency found that 65% of UK employers now see educational qualifications as less important when hiring, while only 14% of UK job postings mention academic qualifications as a requirement. At the same time, demand for AI skills in UK job listings has risen by 62% over the past year, and jobs requiring AI competency pay average wages 34% above the wider market rate.

The figures suggest a labour market in which technical fluency and evidence of applied work are gaining ground over exam performance. The government's AI Labour Market Survey found that 97% of UK businesses report an AI skills gap, while only 13% of graduate schemes include any AI training.

Marketing Signals founder Gareth Hoyle said employers often judge candidates on evidence of initiative and practical output rather than school results alone.

"I've spent over two decades hiring people at every level. Hand on heart, A-level results have never been the reason I hired someone. What tells me everything is what a candidate has actually done, and in 2026, I'm increasingly looking at whether they've started to get to grips with AI," Hoyle said.

His comments reflect a broader shift in hiring priorities across sectors under pressure to adopt AI tools while facing a shortage of people who know how to use them. Transferable skills such as communication, critical thinking, adaptability and the ability to learn quickly also continue to rank highly with employers, particularly once candidates have gained some work experience.

For many recruiters, school grades fade in importance as careers progress. By the time someone is five years into working life, A-level results rarely appear on a CV, the agency noted.

Shift in hiring

The growing emphasis on AI skills marks a notable change because graduate pathways are not yet keeping pace with employer demand. With only a small share of graduate schemes including AI training, school leavers and job seekers who pursue self-directed learning may be able to stand out earlier in the hiring process.

"We're at the beginning of a shift that will reshape almost every industry. The people who will thrive aren't necessarily those who got the best grades; they're the ones who understand how to work with AI tools and genuinely harness them. That's a skill you can start building for free this week, on your own terms. And unlike an A-level result, it's one you can keep sharpening for the rest of your career," Hoyle said.

Marketing Signals urged students to consider a range of next steps after receiving their results, including clearing, apprenticeships, work, volunteering and gap years. It also advised young people to study job listings in their chosen fields to identify commonly requested tools, certifications and skills.

The agency pointed to apprenticeship trends as one sign of changing entry routes into AI-related work. Apprenticeships accounted for 3% of AI hires in 2020 and 19% in 2025, suggesting employers are becoming more open to candidates who build practical knowledge in the workplace instead of following a traditional university path.

Portfolio focus

It also recommended that students build a portfolio of work, particularly if they want to enter digital, creative or technology roles. Examples could include self-initiated projects, writing samples, mock campaigns or websites created with the help of AI tools.

Visible work gives employers something concrete to assess. In areas such as marketing, software and media, candidates can now produce portfolio pieces without formal employment or large budgets by using readily available AI tools to research, draft, test and refine ideas.

This approach also aligns with the agency's view that self-motivated learning is becoming more valuable in early-career hiring. Free and low-cost courses from major technology groups and learning platforms offer one route into AI fundamentals, while certifications in tools such as ChatGPT or Google Gemini may help candidates stand out in crowded applicant pools.

For employers, the issue is not simply familiarity with a particular tool but evidence that applicants can use new systems effectively, review outputs critically and apply them to practical tasks. In sectors adopting AI, recruiters are increasingly likely to test those habits through portfolios, projects and interview discussion rather than relying on academic history.

"Your results today are one data point. The skills you build from here will take you much further than any grade ever could, especially if you're willing to get ahead of AI," Hoyle said.