The Power of Human Connection in an AI‑Driven Employment Landscape
- Tuesday, March 10, 2026
- The Growth Company’s operations director, Alex Howley, has contributed an article to the IEP journal on the future of employability support.
- She argues that while artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance delivery, it will never replace the empathy and trust built through in‑person interaction.
- Drawing on research and colleagues’ experiences, Alex highlights why human connection must remain central as the sector embraces automation.
The Growth Company’s operations director, Alex Howley, has written an article for the latest edition of the Institute of Employability Professionals’ (IEP) quarterly journal.
The journal aims to encourage employment specialists to share research, ideas, and best practice, and February’s issue is dedicated to a subject that has increasingly come to dominate the airwaves and column inches – artificial intelligence.
Alex’s contribution asks what role face-to-face employment support has to play in an age of automation.
Her answer is as clear as it is simple: An irreplaceable one.
Drawing on more than 25 years’ experience in the employment and skills sector, Alex argues that while technology can improve how we support people, only human interaction grounded in empathy can deliver meaningful change.
To support her argument, Alex cites a number of public and private sector studies. But perhaps most importantly, given the subject matter, she gleans insights from three Growth Company colleagues working directly with participants.
The Institute of Employability Professionals
The Institute of Employability Professionals is a not-for-profit organisation whose aim is to improve lives for all in society. We are dedicated to advancing the standards, quality and professionalisation of employability practice around the world. Our vision is ‘Employability Professionals Everywhere Are The Best They Can Be’.
The Growth Company
The Growth Company is an award-winning social enterprise with a 35-year history of enabling growth, creating jobs, and improving lives. We help people and businesses to develop, grow, and succeed through a range of employment, skills, and business support services. We provide employment, justice, and health services across the North of England and beyond.
Contact us today to find out more.
