As artificial intelligence (AI) takes over many entry-level tasks, early career roles are becoming harder to find and land, with postings declining by 35% since 2023. This decrease has created an experience gap. Entry-level candidates lack the skillset employers are looking for and at the same time, traditional pathways to gain those skills are disappearing.
For years, entry-level roles were the natural starting point for a career. But in reality, they served a deeper purpose. These roles were how new graduates learned to operate in the workforce, providing an opportunity to gain and practice skills, contribute to business outcomes and build confidence.
The challenge is that this model assumes employers will continue to invest in early talent development, but that is no longer a given. If AI can successfully offload entry-level tasks, the business case for training early-stage workers becomes more difficult to justify.
With Entry-Level Roles Disappearing, Education Must Bridge the Gap
Closing the experience gap has traditionally been framed as a shared responsibility between employers and educational institutions. That model is breaking down. As entry-level roles shrink, it is increasingly unrealistic to expect them to continue to carry the responsibility for developing that talent.
This doesn’t eliminate the need for partnership between employers and institutions, but it does require that institutions take the lead in designing learning environments that mirror the first one to two years of professional work, ensuring students graduate with the foundational skills and experience that reflect the realities of the modern workplace.
Designing Education Around Real-World Application
Success starts in the classroom. Rather than separating learning from application, institutions must begin embedding real-world experience directly into coursework. Advances in technology are making this more accessible across industries. Simulation tools, virtual and augmented reality allow students to engage in hands-on learning that reflects actual job settings, from technical trades to professional services. This approach ensures that students aren’t just learning concepts but applying them in context. The result is a more continuous, integrated opportunity to gain experience.
Creating a Continuous Pipeline of Experience
Gaining relevant, career-aligned skills can often be more valuable than a purely academic education. Structured co-op and work-integrated learning models led by institutions offer a way to build a steady pipeline of experience, providing students the ability to alternate between classroom learning and real-world work throughout their education, at a time when internships are difficult to come by. Today, internship applications are nearly twice as competitive as they were just a year ago and as a result, more than half of students (56%) seeking an internship are unable to secure one.
Externships can complement this by offering flexible, project-based experiences that expand access to real experience. Externships allow students to gain experience without needing to secure a full-time role, like an internship. They often are short-term, unpaid opportunities for learners to shadow professionals and explore a career path quickly. Together, these approaches create repeated exposure to workplace expectations, allowing students to build valuable skills and confidence over time, while giving employers earlier access to emerging talent.
Institutions that remain responsive to the needs of today’s learners and employers by intentionally integrating hands-on experience throughout the student journey are best positioned to deliver meaningful, career-oriented outcomes. Northeastern is a strong example of an institution that has long distinguished itself by its connection to evolving, real-world job requirements.
Extending Learning Beyond Graduation
Closing the experience gap doesn’t end at graduation. As traditional entry-level roles continue to evolve, the need to build and grow skills extends well into the early years of a career. In today’s job market, early career readiness is no longer a nice-to-have, it is a necessity for accessing career opportunity.
For those employers that do choose to partner with institutions and invest in entry-level talent, there are several clear benefits. By participating in experiential learning programs, employers can help shape a strong talent pipeline that is better prepared from day one. The result is faster employee ramp up, stronger performance and a more diverse pool of candidates.
As AI reshapes entry-level work, fewer companies will see it as their responsibility to cultivate early career skills. The system that was in place for developing early experience has fractured. If we don’t redesign how and where experience is built, more young workers will find themselves locked out of opportunity. The future of work doesn’t just demand new skills; it demands a new way of gaining those skills and now is the moment to design it.
