AI Isn’t Replacing Entry-Level Hires . . . at Least Not in the Way You Think
The sharp drop in entry-level job postings isn’t because AI is amazing. It’s because two very human, very broken systems are colliding:
Colleges keep producing self-entitled, underprepared grads who can’t do the jobs for which they’ve been hired.
Employers are using the "AI will replace people" narrative as cover to clean up a decade of overhiring.
colleges aren’t doing their jobs.
Most entry-level job seekers today arrive at their first jobs with a degree, debt, and . . . that’s about it.
No real skills, no understanding of how to work in a team, and no clue how to deliver value.
employers know this, and they're sick of dealing with it
So when faced with a choice of (1) hiring a self-entitled college grad who has no idea how to do the job or (2) spending a few bucks on an AI tool that boosts employees productivity by 10% . . . they’re going to go with door no. 2.
Not because the AI is great. It’s not. Most AI tools today are fast, sometimes helpful, and too often wrong or just can't get the job done.
But at least they aren’t asking for “flex Fridays” before they’ve shipped a single piece of usable work.
The drop in entry-level hiring isn’t a win for AI; it’s an indictment of higher ed.
employers aren’t running towards AI; they’re running away from college grads
layoffs
Reason no. 2 behind the plummet in entry-level job postings . . . layoffs. Most of the “AI-fueled” layoffs we’ve seen? They’re not really about AI. They’re about companies finally correcting for years of bloated hiring.
However, in the past, CEO’s would’ve been reluctant to engage in layoffs because it would have sent a negative signal to the market.
But now? They have a built-in excuse. “AI is transforming our business. We’re reimagining workflows. We’re investing in automation.” So, firing 10,000 people doesn’t make you look DISTRESSED, it makes you look VISIONARY.
And don’t forget, these mass employer layoffs started in 2022 . . . when AI tools were even LESS IMPRESSIVE than the "meh" AI tools of 2025. So, it's not that AI could perform the roles of the people who were being let go; it's that the people were never needed in the first place.
And then the knock-on effect of those layoffs is that it has flooded the market with experienced, proven talent. So, even when companies are hiring, they’re opting for people with two to five years of experience for jobs that used to be considered entry-level.
Why gamble on a college grad who’s never done the job when you can hire someone who’s shipped products and knows how to get things done? So, it's this surplus of seasoned talent that’s the other major factor depressing entry-level job opportunities.
And again, it’s not AI doing the damage—it’s simply the cover that companies need to correct their hiring mistakes.
pega6 is the solution
At pega6, we’re solving this in a different way: by building entry-level employees who are entry-level in name only.
Our graduates come in with the technical skills of a 2nd- or 3rd-year hire—writing clean code, shipping full products, managing stakeholder expectations—and the soft skills to match.
our grads aren’t just “trained,” they’re transformed
Because we don’t believe education should be about memorizing content. It should be about producing outcomes.
We’ve redesigned the system from the ground up. That means no lectures, no GPAs, no fluff.
Just relentless, real-world product builds, tight feedback loops, and a clear goal:
deliver business value, or do it again until you can
The result? Employers get talent who can hit the ground running. Grads get jobs they actually want. And we get to prove—again and again—that the problem isn’t with Gen Z, or AI, or the economy.
It’s with college.
And we’re here to replace it.
