Do graduates and apprentices land in the workplace with the skills they need to thrive and succeed? We hear frequently from employers that they don’t. ISE’s webinar explores what is lacking and what we can we do about it.
In the ISE Student Development Survey 2026, about a third of employers reported that new joiners fall below expectations when it comes to adapting to workplace demands.
Our latest webinar led by ISE’s Anne-Marie Campion explored the transition from student to professional with Mike Grey, Director of Gradconsult and Louisa Palmer, Global Early Careers Programme Manager at Howden.
There was consensus that while concerns about work readiness are real, they should not be interpreted as a lack of intelligence, capability or motivation among young people.
Instead, employers, universities and students are navigating a significantly different environment from previous generations and core to the solution is collaboration.
COVID-19 disruption, hybrid working, rising mental health challenges, changing educational experiences, AI, reduced opportunities for work experience, and evolving workplace expectations have widened the gap between education and employment.
Both employers and educators were encouraged to recognise that this transition requires active support.
The webinar strongly emphasised that universities, schools and colleges cannot solve the challenge alone, nor can employers expect candidates to arrive ‘oven ready’.
A collaborative approach that combines realistic expectations, meaningful work experience, effective induction and manager support is needed.
The evidence
Gradconsult research shows that the most significant challenges in transitioning effectively from education to the workplace are:
- Task navigation (managing competing priorities and ambiguity)
- Pragmatism (working within constraints rather than striving for perfection)
- Self-sufficiency (managing oneself reliably in a workplace context)
Work readiness is a transition issue, not a talent issue. Employers are not seeing lower levels of intelligence, ambition or capability among graduates and apprentices. Instead, they are seeing:
- Less exposure to workplace environments
- Fewer opportunities to build workplace behaviours
- Reduced confidence navigating ambiguity
- Greater need for structured support during transition
The challenge is not whether young people can perform successfully, but whether they have had sufficient opportunities to develop workplace habits and expectations before entering employment.
How can we best address the challenges?
Our speakers strongly rejected the idea that responsibility sits solely with either education providers or employers.
Universities are already delivering increasing levels of employability support and work-related learning. However, they cannot replicate real workplace environments in every respect.
Likewise, employers must recognise their responsibility to develop talent and provide opportunities for young people to gain workplace exposure.
The most successful outcomes are likely to come from greater collaboration across the education-to-employment pipeline.
The webinar's most important conclusion was that work readiness should not be viewed as a deficit in young people. Rather, it reflects the complexity of moving from education into an increasingly demanding and rapidly changing world of work.
For employers, the focus should be on supporting transition, equipping line managers, broadening access to work experience and recruiting for potential.
For education providers, the priority remains providing realistic exposure to workplace expectations and developing students' ability to operate in ambiguity.
Ultimately, improving work readiness is a shared responsibility and one that will require coordinated action across employers, educators and policymakers.