Professors think students are prepared for the workforce- nearly half of students disagree and feel unready even for entry-level roles | Fortune

"Recent Gen Z graduates feel underprepared for today's AI-driven job market, despite 9 in 10 educators believing otherwise, according to a Cengage report. It comes as employers are hiring fewer entry-level workers and reporting frustration with recent grads' lack of workplace readiness-and students blame inadequate career prep, limited internships, and poor real-world exposure during their education. While it may be assumed that recent college graduates aren't ready to take on the AI-burdened job market, the ones prepping them for the workforce feel otherwise."

"The disconnect between students' post-school reality and professors' approach stems from a mismatch in priorities. The report says that educators are focused on soft skills like critical thinking and problem solving, while employers are ranking candidates based on job-specific technical skills with AI as their top priority. And the discrepancy is leaving job seekers unprepared for what workplaces actually want after graduation."

"Nearly nine in ten educators believe their students are prepared to enter the workforce, but students disagree. Almost half of graduates don't even feel prepared enough to apply for an entry-level job in their field of study, according to Cengage group -an education and technology company that provides digital learning materials, platforms, and services for higher education for workforce training. Additionally, only half of graduates feel confident in their AI skills when job-hunting-a skill that's increasingly important in this tech-driven era."

Nearly nine in ten educators believe students are prepared to enter the workforce, yet many recent graduates disagree. Almost half of graduates do not feel prepared to apply for entry-level jobs in their fields, and only about half feel confident in AI skills for job hunting. Educators emphasize soft skills such as critical thinking and communication, while employers prioritize job-specific technical skills with AI as a top requirement. Graduates cite inadequate career preparation, limited internships, and poor real-world exposure, and more than a third wish institutions had partnered more closely with employers to build career-relevant courses and skills.

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