AITEC Webinar: Exploring the Role of AI in Employment Counselling

01/10/2025

The Artificial Intelligence Training for Employment Counsellors webinar on the role of artificial intelligence in employment counselling and its potential to support unemployed individuals took place on 30 September.

The event brought together educators, policymakers, and employers to discuss how AI can be used as a tool to enhance employment services while ensuring ethical responsibility.

Sylvana Hiltorp, Senior EU Project Manager at SkillLab, opened the session by introducing AITEC’s partner countries, the Netherlands and Spain, and presented the project’s AI model. She explained how the model addresses challenges faced by employment counsellors, with the aim of adding value to their work without creating unnecessary complexity.

Anna Tshngryan, Senior Data Scientist and Machine Learning Specialist at SkillLab, provided further insights into how AI functions in practice. She highlighted that while AI can process large amounts of data and recognize patterns—helping to match jobseekers with suitable opportunities and supporting employers in identifying the right candidates—it cannot replace human judgement.

The ethical dimension of AI in employment counselling was also a key theme. Hiltorp emphasized the importance of transparency and warned against risks of bias, which can arise from historical data or unrepresentative datasets. These issues, if not carefully managed, risk reinforcing discrimination against vulnerable groups.

The discussion further addressed security and confidentiality in AI applications. Tshngryan noted the relevance of existing legal frameworks such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the forthcoming EU AI Act in promoting responsible use of AI.

This discussion is also relevant to the work of the TRAILS project, which explores how digital and AI-driven tools can support learning and employment pathways responsibly and inclusively.

The webinar highlighted both the opportunities and challenges of integrating AI into employment counselling. While AI can improve efficiency and inclusiveness, its use must remain transparent, ethical, and respectful of human decision-making. AITEC continues to monitor technological developments closely, ensuring that responsibility and ethics remain central to its work.