work-readiness
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- NewsThe PIE News23 Jul 2026
Our obsession with ‘work-readiness’ may be making young people less prepared for work
Despite decades of effort to align education with employment, employers still report that young graduates are underprepared. The article argues that an excessive focus on 'work-readiness' may actually hinder adaptability for rapidly evolving careers. True preparation should emphasize foundational skills like critical thinking and learning how to learn.
Original abstract
Every graduation season, a familiar scene plays out in schools and universities across the world. Headteachers, university leaders and employer partners stand in front of young people and offer the same reassurance: that the education they have just completed has made them ‘work-ready’. It’s a comforting phrase. Parents want to hear it. Schools want to deliver it. Universities point to it as evidence of value. And the intention behind it is absolutely the right one. When young people leave education, they should be equipped to contribute, support themselves and build meaningful careers. No sensible educator would argue otherwise. But there is a question that has been bothering me for some time. If we are spending more time than ever preparing young people for work, why do so many employers still tell us that young people are not prepared for work? Something doesn’t quite add up. Over the past two decades, schools, universities and employers have worked harder than ever to close the gap between education and employment. Vocational pathways have expanded. Employers have become more involved in education. Skills frameworks have been developed, refined and redeveloped. By almost any measure, this should be the most work-ready generation in history. If we are spending more time than ever preparing young people for work, why do so many employers still tell us that young people are not prepared for work? And yet we continue to hear concerns about the gap between what young people know and what they can actually do. At the same time, the careers they are preparing for are changing faster than ever. Twenty years ago, very few schools were preparing students to become app developers, social media strategists or sustainability officers. Today, those are established professions. The same will be true of many of tomorrow’s careers that we simply cannot see yet. That’s the challenge. The future of work is evolving faster than our ability to predict it. The World Economic Forum’s