SKILL STACKING: HOW WE GOT BRITAIN TALKING ABOUT THE VALUE OF PRACTICAL SKILLS

AI is changing the way we work, but while everyone is talking about the jobs it might replace, what about the skills it can’t?

It’s a question that’s getting plenty of attention. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has recently called for Britain to value the hard hat as much as the graduation cap, putting practical skills firmly back in the spotlight.

It’s also a conversation we tapped into over the summer for our client Airtasker, the online marketplace connecting people who need jobs done with skilled local Taskers.

We wanted to challenge the usual AI narrative and show how Brits are using the skills they already have to take greater control of their working lives in the face of a pretty uncertain jobs market.

Spotting a shift in how Britain works

We’d noticed something interesting in Airtasker’s UK marketplace data. As headlines about AI and job losses grew, more people were signing up to earn money through the platform.

So we decided to investigate why this was happening.

We commissioned research among 2,000 UK adults and discovered that almost half (49%) were concerned AI could affect their jobs within five years. But people weren’t just worrying about the future, they were doing something about it.

Nearly two-thirds (64%) had considered earning money outside their main job, while 46% had already done so, bringing in an average of £1,777 a year.

We had discovered the reason why rates of people were signing up to Airtasker directly correlated with the worsening jobs market. Entrepreneurial Brits were building earning resilience by running multiple opportunities to earn rather than relying on one full time job. We called this trend skill stacking – using the skills you already have to build additional income streams.

And here’s where it got interesting. Despite all the hype around AI, Brits believed traditional trades offered some of the biggest earning opportunities. Electrical work and plumbing both ranked ahead of AI and technology support.

We had a story that challenged the headlines and gave Airtasker a genuine voice in the debate about the future of work.

From corporate careers to professional queueing

Of course, great research is one thing. But journalists also want real people who bring the numbers to life, and Airtasker had some brilliant stories.

Take Kieran, who ditched his stressful £50,000 corporate career to become a full-time flat-pack furniture assembler. He’s now earning more than £3,000 a month doing something he genuinely enjoys.

Then there’s AJ, a 23-year-old graduate from Manchester who gets paid to stand in queues. Yes, really. His first job involved waiting 13 hours for a Sephora store opening.

We brought these stories together with the research and Airtasker’s own marketplace data to create the Airtasker Skills Economy Report, giving journalists plenty of fresh angles to explore.

We also supported the launch of Airtasker’s online Skills Calculator, helping people discover what their own skills could be worth.

Taking the story national

The timing worked in our favour. Airtasker’s Founder and CEO, Tim Fung, was visiting the UK, giving us an opportunity to put him at the centre of the conversation.

We used the report to pitch stories about the changing world of work, securing national coverage in The Times, The Sun, The Sunday Times, alongside BBC Talking Business and regional radio.

But one of our favourite moments came when we secured AJ an interview on Heart Breakfast with Amanda Holden and Jamie Theakston.

The presenters loved the idea of a professional queuer, and so did listeners. During the four-minute interview, Airtasker saw a 1,000% increase in registrations. It was media coverage that doesn’t just get people talking, but gets them taking action.

You can see more of the coverage and results in our Airtasker PR campaign case study.

A story with staying power

What made this campaign work was finding a story that went beyond the brand.

We spotted a shift in consumer behaviour and connected it to a conversation already dominating the news. Our research gave journalists something new to report, while real Tasker stories made it relatable.

And with AI continuing to reshape the workplace and practical skills climbing the political agenda, the conversation is far from over.