Entry-level jobs need experience. Know what else they need?

Before diving into today’s newsletter, we have some exciting news to share! This week at Flintolabs, we’ll be announcing something that makes it even more rewarding for high schoolers to spend just one hour a week building hands-on AI skills with us. Follow us on LinkedIn to be the first to know when it drops!

We wrapped up our October Foundations track this Saturday, where four 7th graders showcased the apps they built, walking us through their process, challenges, and how they overcame them. The ideas were refreshing (we’ll share them soon on our blog!). As we talked about the journey they went through, there was even more learning for all of us.

I couldn’t help but view it through the lens of someone who’s onboarded early-in-career employees into new roles. The process felt so similar; learn the concepts, build something small, discuss the how and the why, rinse and repeat. It’s not just what you learn but how you learn it that truly matters.

Ayesha and I have often talked about how AI, more than any other technology, demands that we teach students the “how.” Outsourcing your thinking to AI isn’t the goal; using AI as a tool to speed up tasks after you’ve done your thinking; that’s the mindset we want to nurture. This idea quietly shapes how we design every concept and project at Flintolabs.

Another area that’s been on my mind lately is AI safety; everyday I read articles that jolt me to reality about it. I came across an article on how now deepfakes were used in a video call to dupe seniors, and the recommendation to start creating “safe” words for your family to validate callers. During my research for the newsletter, I came across the shocking statistic of how many kids have spoken to an AI bot for advice at least once. It made for some good discussion with my 7-year old on the limits of AI usage! At Flintolabs, AI safety has always been part of our program, but it’s something we’re now exploring how to weave more deeply into our projects.

Readiness for the AI world isn’t just about learning AI, it’s about understanding when and where to use it, and how to use it safely.

-Janani

Registration Opens: September 2025
Application Deadline: Mid-October 2025
Competition Period: October 2025 - April 2026

What: National STEM competition where students use science and technology to address real-world issues in their local communities

Who: Public school students in grades 6-12 (teachers submit applications on behalf of student teams)

Format: Multi-phase competition beginning with video pitch, advancing through prototype development, with national finalists presenting in New York City. Teams receive mentorship and support throughout the process.

Focus Areas: Using STEM to solve pressing local community problems - environmental sustainability, healthcare access, food insecurity, educational equity, and more

Prizes:

What Makes It Special: Winning teams bring substantial technology resources back to their entire school. Strong emphasis on community impact combined with ongoing mentorship makes this one of the most supportive national competitions available.

Perfect for: Students who want to apply AI and STEM skills to make tangible impact in their communities while securing major resources for their schools.

Application Deadline: Rolling admissions throughout academic year
Program Dates: Fall and Spring semesters

What: CU Boulder's premier entrepreneurship competition and accelerator program helping students transform ideas into viable ventures

Who: High school students with entrepreneurial ideas (special high school track available)

Format: Multi-stage competition including pitch events, mentorship sessions, and workshops covering business fundamentals, customer discovery, and go-to-market strategy

Prizes:

Perfect for: Students ready to move beyond theoretical business plans and build real companies with guidance from experienced founders

Special note: Flintolabs is proud to be featured as a Resource for this program! We're here to help students develop the AI skills needed to work through their ventures smartly - from market research to competitive analysis to building prototypes. We're excited to support CU Boulder's commitment to developing the next generation of innovators.

The job market has created an impossible trap for graduates. According to research by Indeed Labs, 40% of entry-level positions - jobs specifically designed for people starting their careers - now require three or more years of prior experience. This is what we call the “experience paradox”!

Think about the absurdity: entry-level jobs that aren't actually entry-level. First jobs that demand you've already had a job. The study reveals 39% of recent graduates remain unemployed while employers simultaneously claim they can't find qualified candidates.

This isn't a temporary market fluctuation. It's a fundamental shift in how employers evaluate capability an the skills required for these entry level jobs. Traditional credentials - degrees, GPAs, coursework - no longer differentiate candidates because everyone has them. What separates competitive applicants from the rest? Verifiable experience demonstrating actual capability. And “foundational skills” that was learned on the job in the past.

The problem runs deeper than experience requirements. Entry-level positions today demand foundational skills that previous generations developed during their first jobs - critical thinking, adaptability, technological fluency, and the ability to learn independently. But employers no longer have the time or resources to teach these capabilities on the job. They expect new hires to arrive already equipped with skills that used to be learned through work itself.

This creates a critical window that most students miss entirely. The foundational skills employers need can't be crammed during senior year or acquired through coursework alone. They develop through hands-on experience, real problem-solving, and productive struggle over time. Students who wait until after graduation to start building these capabilities find themselves competing against peers who have been developing them throughout high school. By the time most students realize which skills they need, others who started earlier have years of advantage.

Read more: Entry-level jobs still exist, but the skills to get them have changed

High schoolers today face unprecedented challenges: 94% of Gen Z report monthly mental health struggles, 87% worry about housing affordability, 78% stress about climate change, and 73% fear finding good employment. But here's what's less talked about: these challenges aren't separate problems - they're interconnected.

AI literacy addresses all three at once. When students learn to build AI-powered solutions, they create economic opportunities (70% of new businesses will involve digital platforms), enable tech-powered climate action (from optimizing renewable energy to precision agriculture), and transform mental health through purposeful creation instead of passive consumption.

Of all these challenges, the mental health crisis presents the most unexpected opportunity. When teens create something with real impact - whether it's an app solving a problem in their community or a tool helping others - they experience a dopamine hit that's far more meaningful than likes on social media. AI lowers the barrier to experimentation, making it easier than ever for students to bring their ideas to life and experience the genuine satisfaction that comes from building rather than just scrolling.

The research backs this up: students who engage in hands-on creation with AI develop problem-solving skills, build lasting confidence, and replace passive screen time with purposeful work that actually improves their well-being.

Read more: Addressing the real challenges facing today's youth through AI skills

This week, we're highlighting Mahika Kasarabada, a rising senior from New Jersey who completed a transformative summer internship at Flintolabs developing an AI-powered Shark Tank agent that evaluates student startup pitches.

Mahika brought together her passions for AI, health tech, entrepreneurship, and education to tackle a deceptively complex challenge: How do you teach AI to evaluate entrepreneurial pitches the way experienced investors do - not just checking boxes, but understanding market viability, assessing founder readiness, and providing genuinely useful feedback?

Mahika built a full-stack AI agent featuring five distinct "Shark" personas that students can choose from - Investor Shark, Tech Expert Shark, User Advocate Shark, Sustainability Shark, and Wildcard Shark. Each persona brings a unique lens to evaluating business ideas, asking probing questions, providing targeted feedback, and scoring pitches using a comprehensive rubric-based system.

"Beyond the technical side, this project taught me how to design for a greater purpose," Mahika reflects. "I'm excited that the agent will enable students to explore entrepreneurship in a more personalized and dynamic way, and encourage students to leverage the supportive and innovation-driven environment at Flintolabs."

Mahika's project exemplifies what happens when technical excellence meets educational purpose. She didn't just build an AI model - she created a tool that fundamentally improves how students learn entrepreneurship.

Read about the Shark Tank AI agent and try it out on Flintolabs marketplace

Flintolabs helps high schoolers gain the required experience and foundational skills that prepare them for those elusive entry level jobs or entrepreneurship. Our students break down complex problems, design solutions, and build with purpose experiencing the satisfaction of creating real impact while developing critical thinking, adaptability, and technological fluency that can't be taught through lectures alone.

Only 5 more days before enrollments close for the November cohort. Spaces are limited to ensure personalized attention.

Sign up today →

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