Job listings for highly replicable roles have plummeted. Hiring of new college graduates has dropped by 25%. Mass layoffs have left the tech sector reeling. While myriad factors are at play, growing labor market data indicate that AI is playing a role in the erosion of the bottom rung of the career ladder.
For generations, entry-level jobs have served as foundational on-the-job training for those at the beginning of their professional journeys. If we eliminate these roles, how will new workers gain the skills and experience needed to work their way up the ladder? And how will organizations build a talent pipeline of experienced workers if they don’t give entry-level workers any experience?
To dig into this challenge and ideate solutions, WGU Labs convened a group of workforce, higher education, and industry leaders at the JFF 2025 Horizons Summit. The group explored how to create more dynamic, affordable, and aligned learning systems that meet the pace of change and support a more resilient, equitable future of education and work.
Learn more in our latest white paper below.
