Afternoon Panel Debate: Will AI replace skills, or help you build them?
05 March 2026 | 12:30pm - 3:30pm (GMT)
Microsoft, Waverley Gate 2-4 Waterloo Place Edinburgh EH1 3EG.
Overview
This panel brings together industry leaders to discuss how AI is reshaping Scotland’s skills landscape and what this means for your workforce. Panellists will tackle the myth that AI replaces junior roles, instead exploring how work is evolving, where human skills remain essential, and how organisations can build a resilient, future-ready talent pipeline.
If you’re unsure whether apprenticeships are relevant for your existing workforce, this discussion will challenge assumptions and share what’s working in practice. A key focus of the discussion will be the role of apprenticeships and structured, funded training in that pipeline - not only as a route for new entrants, but as a powerful way to upskill, engage and retain existing employees. Through real employer insight and learner experience, the panel will explore how organisations are using apprenticeships to adapt roles, close skills gaps and develop talent from within in an AI-enabled workplace.
The session will highlight the opportunities AI presents, the risks of inaction, and the shared responsibility between employers, providers and policymakers to support the development of Scotland’s tech and data skills at every career stage. The event concludes with QA’s Scottish Apprentice of the Year Award, sponsored by Microsoft, celebrating apprentices who are making a real impact in their organisations.
Why attend?
- Hear from industry experts on how AI is changing skills needs across Scotland
- Understand where human capability remains vital and how early-career talent can thrive
- Gain clarity on the risks of inaction and the opportunities AI presents for employers
- Contribute to a constructive discussion with peers and ask questions directly to the panel
- Celebrate Scotland’s emerging talent with QA’s Scottish Apprentice of the Year Award, sponsored by Microsoft
Agenda
- 12:30 Registration and Light Lunch
- 13:00 Welcome and Introduction
Natalie Anderson, Head of Sales, QA
- 13:05 Debunking the Myth: AI Can’t Replace the Foundations of a Workforce. Becky King, EMEA Early in Profession Strategy Lead & UK Apprentice Lead, Microsoft
- 13:30 Building Scotland’s Digital & AI Talent Pipeline
This session will draw on themes from the morning’s roundtable and introducing a new Digital and AI–focused evolution of the DAS programme. This initiative is designed to bridge the gap while a national framework is developed, giving organisations a practical way to start building capability now and supporting early-career talent as Scotland moves toward a more structured approach to AI skills.
Ben Sweetman, Director of Content & Learning Design, QA
- 14.00 Fireside Chat: Apprenticeships in practice Two employers and their apprentices, joined by Microsoft, share real-world experiences of apprenticeship programmes—what’s worked, the skills developed, and why early-career pathways remain vital in an AI-enabled workplace.
- 14:45 Comfort Break
- 15:00 QA’s Scottish Apprentice of the Year Award, sponsored by Microsoft, celebrating apprentices making a real impact in their organisations.
- 15:30 Closing remarks and networking drinks.