Why we're betting on juniors in the age of AI

Oct 08, 2026

On 1 September, 89 juniors started at delaware, and with them, a full month-long bootcamp. Time to look back at what that month actually looked like, and why we built it the way we did.

Some of it looked exactly like it does every year: first-day nerves, new faces, the keys to their first car. We say that annually because it's annually true, and it's still one of the loveliest days on our calendar!

What's different this time

This year, though, there's a louder conversation going on. Everywhere you look, the message is that AI is coming for entry-level work and that the junior role is disappearing. We see it differently, because of how we think about the long run. We want delaware to still be here 150 years from now, and you don't build something that lasts by stepping away from young talent. If we want the experts of tomorrow, we have to keep investing in the graduates of today.

So we did the exercise: what does a fresh graduate need to not just contribute now, but to keep contributing as the consulting role evolves around them. The bootcamp was rebuilt around two things: futureproof skills, and real, concrete expertise in the tools and processes our customers rely on.

The 4 foundations

What do they walk away with after the program? 

The trajectory

Week 1: the foundation

All 89 juniors in one room together. They learn about: 

  • our values in action, curiosity & critical thinking and the delaware way of working
  • a Copilot assignment: tackling AI responsibly and maturely with solid prompting, scoping & evaluating outcome
  • A simulated, high-level consulting game focusing on BPMN flows & collaboration

...and most importantly: they start building their first network & friendships amongst each other. 

Week 2-4: into their own field

From there, every junior moved into the track of their own solution & offering area. They follow processes from start to finish, with coaches walking them through end-to-end cases in the morning and trainers going deeper in the classroom in the afternoon. Module-specific trainings give them the solid expertise to start on real customer projects. 

Week 4: business game

To close the month, most juniors bring everything together in one final business game. Every skill, module & lesson is tested in one go - with attention for feedback on the delaware values. 

On-the-job learning & comeback fridays

A bootcamp is a launchpad, not a finish line. After month one, our juniors step into real projects, with senior colleagues guiding them and a buddy in their team who has their back. That's where most of the growth happens: on the job, with real customers and real stakes. Next to that, e-learnings and certifications help them keep deepening their expertise in the months ahead.

The human side runs through all of it

In an age of AI slop and generalist sameness, we want our juniors to carry the delaware identity: to live our values with integrity, and to build real connections with the people around them.

We never believed in a junior role built around note-taking and spreadsheet monkey jobs. Now more than ever, we want our juniors to dive into a role that adds value from day one, with the autonomy and the right tools to grow into the experts of the future.

What hasn't changed is the part that never should: the nerves, the car keys, and 89 people landing somewhere that has their back from day one. Some traditions are worth keeping.

Welcome to our newest #peopleofdelaware!

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