EY is turning its internships into yearlong residencies as AI changes entry-level work

EY is launching a months long residency to train young consultants on the skills they will need for the AI era.

Bloomberg/Getty Images EY is launching a residency program that will extend internships by 8-12 months.

The program will help them develop skills for the AI era, like judgment and professional skepticism.

Workers want employers to help them "stay relevant and grow," EY's Ginnie Carlier said.

EY is betting that an eight-week internship is no longer enough to prepare young workers for the age of AI.

The Big Four firm is launching a new paid "Career Residency" for its assurance interns that will continue for 8 to 12 months after they complete the traditional eight-week internship.

Participants will remain employed part-time, work remotely on EY projects, receive personalized coaching, and participate in skills development before potentially joining the firm full-time.

EY is launching the residency as AI reshapes the skills entry-level workers need and pushes firms to rethink how quickly new hires can contribute.

"Professional services is really changing at a rapid pace right now, and the workforce is changing right alongside it," Ginnie Carlier, EY Americas' chief talent and culture officer, told Business Insider.

Workers, she added, are increasingly looking for employers that can "help them stay relevant and grow." That shift has already changed the traditional professional-services career ladder.

Junior consultants used to spend much of their time on what Errol Gardner, EY's global head of consulting, described as "assembly" work — pulling together presentations, drafting proposals, and synthesizing information.

As AI takes on more of those tasks, Gardner said consultants now spend more time exercising judgment, from interpreting insights to shaping outcomes for clients.

Carlier previously told Business Insider that AI is also changing EY's employee lifecycle , from recruiting and onboarding to talent development and promotions.

She also described a shift toward more flexible, skills-focused career paths in which employees are evaluated more on the impact they can have than on traditional career progression.