“When people talk about Gen Z and the problems they’re facing with workforce readiness, I think people are primarily thinking about college-grad Gen Z,” Josh Millet, founder and CEO of pre-employment testing company Criteria, tells Fortune. “That part of the American Dream is hitting a rough patch for sure.”
Only 8% of hiring professionals think that Gen Z is prepared for the workplace, according to a new report from Criteria which surveyed more than 350 managers across small and large enterprises. But they’re not the only ones doubtful that new graduates are ready to launch their white-collar careers—even the young talent are skeptical of their own readiness. Less than a quarter, 24%, of Gen Z say their generation is prepared to begin working. Millet says that it may be tempting to pin the issue on AI. While there are issues surrounding the advanced tech sweeping entry-level roles, the young digital natives are better prepared than most to adapt skill-wise. The real culprit of this workplace readiness issue is the eroding value of U.S. college degrees.
“To hear Gen Z say the same thing is a collective loss of confidence in [the] college degree. I think that’s the continuation of a trend that is really pronounced,” Millet continues. “I feel like it’s really only a crisis in the U.S. and it’s because the relative value of the college degree is just plummeting.”
