Employers seek AI‑ready grads
A Pearson and AWS survey found that 53% of employers struggle to find graduates they consider ‘AI‑ready,’ highlighting a reported skills gap between hiring needs and candidate experience. The release was presented in PR coverage that also notes students are reconsidering majors as AI reshapes job prospects (prnewswire.com) (wral.com).
More than half of employers in a new Pearson and Amazon Web Services survey said they cannot find graduates with the artificial intelligence skills they need. (prnewswire.com) Pearson and Amazon Web Services released the findings on April 13, 2026, from a study of more than 2,700 learners, higher education leaders and employers across six countries: the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and Malaysia. (prnewswire.com) The sharpest gap in the survey was between campuses and companies: 78% of higher education leaders said they are meeting employer expectations, while only 14% of current graduates said they have reached a high level of proficiency using artificial intelligence tools in a professional workflow. (pearson.com) The report defines “artificial intelligence readiness” as more than knowing how to open a chatbot. Pearson and Amazon Web Services said employers want graduates who can apply artificial intelligence in real work, judge outputs, work with data and follow governance rules. (aws.amazon.com) That demand is landing as students start changing academic plans around the technology. WRAL reported on April 14 that North Carolina students are adding machine learning classes, rethinking majors and adjusting internship plans as entry-level hiring slows. (wral.com) The North Carolina story tracks with the survey’s broader finding that learners see artificial intelligence reshaping job prospects faster than colleges are redesigning courses. Pearson and Amazon Web Services said the breakdown is happening where classroom learning is supposed to turn into workplace capability. (prnewswire.com) Amazon Web Services and Pearson framed the problem as six “frictions,” including weak alignment between universities and employers, limited chances for students to practice with workplace tools, and uncertainty over what counts as job-ready artificial intelligence skill. (aws.amazon.com) Their proposed fix is not a new major by itself. The companies called for artificial intelligence skills to be embedded across degree programs, measured with clearer credentials and built with employers involved earlier in course design. (pearson.com) The immediate question for colleges is whether they can move faster than the labor market is changing. For graduates entering hiring cycles in 2026, employers are signaling that basic familiarity with artificial intelligence is no longer enough. (prnewswire.com)
