AI is wiping out entry-level jobs. Here’s how colleges can fill the gap

Traditionally, the transition from classroom to career followed a familiar path: land an entry-level job, learn more through hands-on experience and continue building from there. That first job wasn’t just employment; it was valuable career training. Entry-level employment was how new workers developed judgment and the ability to translate theory into practice. But across a growing number of industries, that important first rung of the career ladder is now disappearing. Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly automating many of the tasks that once defined entry-level roles, contributing to a decline in demand for some positions while reshaping the responsibilities and skill sets required for others. In the process, the traditional bridge between education and employment is beginning to erode. In fact, 66% of hiring managers say most recent hires are not fully prepared for their roles, mainly due to a lack of experience. But even before AI, other opportunities that historically played a vital role in connecting education and employment were disappearing. In 2023, nearly 4.6 million students who wanted internships could not secure one. Yet 87% of employed graduates say internships helped them land their job, while more than half of those without an internship believe it hurt their job prospects, according to our Cengage’s Graduate Employability Report. As internships become harder to access and AI reshapes entry-level jobs, the result is a widening experience gap, leaving new workforce entrants without opportunities to apply what they have learned in real-world settings. Colleges Must Redesign How Experience Is Delivered At its core, the goal of education is to prepare individuals for employment and advancement. But as AI alters the nature of entry-level work, institutions can no longer assume students will gain practical experience after graduation. Increasingly, workforce readiness must be embedded directly into the educational experience itself. Student