Last week in The Hive, we shared a stat that stopped a few of us in our tracks:
25% of entry-level jobs have disappeared.
At first glance, it’s alarming. But it’s also a signal — a disruption we can’t ignore. For those of us working in education, talent strategy, and workforce development, this moment isn’t just about reacting. It’s about reimagining.
What does this mean for post-secondary institutions?
Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s non-negotiable.
In Canada, we’ve long championed co-op, practicums, and project and community-based learning. However, with AI now automating many tasks once reserved for early talent, we need to move beyond repetitive, task-based opportunities.
Students are entering the workforce not just AI-aware, but as the first generation of AI experimenters. They have been asking, “What can AI do with this?” in many facets of their lives. They need space to experiment, to solve real problems, and to flex their critical thinking muscles. This is the generation that can ask and answer the question: What could this job be if we started from scratch?
When you bring in early talent that hasn’t been conditioned by “the way we’ve always done it,” they’ll show you how it could be done. This is what we need our students to do — not just participate but reshape.
What does this mean for employers?
If AI is handling the “easy” stuff, what hard, human, or high-impact work are you giving early talent?
The most innovative organizations aren’t waiting for perfect job descriptions. They’re experimenting. They’re running pilots. They’re hiring for potential, not just proficiency.
Ask yourself:
- Are we onboarding with AI tools in mind?
- Are job descriptions evolving with the tech we’re adopting?
- Are we considering WIL as a testing ground for future roles that have yet to be defined?
If not, your entry-level strategy might already be outdated.
What should governments and funders be paying attention to?
That the definition of “employable” is shifting fast.
We must align our funding for education, upskilling, and workforce development with a reality where communication, creativity, and adaptability aren’t “soft skills.” They are the essential ones.
Let’s stop relying on more degrees as a safety net. Credentials alone don’t guarantee readiness. But integrated, evolved human skills do.
Double down on co-curricular programs. Fund spaces where students learn to fail, adapt, build networks, and reflect — because the future of work isn’t job-ready.
It’s change-ready.
A Note to Academia: Move Fast in a Slow-Moving System
We know universities weren’t built for speed, but the market is moving, and students are moving with it.
Colleges have historically done this better. They move quickly, adapt curricula, and embed workforce thinking in real time. But universities? You’re in the workforce game whether you admit it or not.
Ninety-eight percent of students say they attend university to secure a job, or a better one
So if you’re not preparing students for evolving careers, you risk preparing them for irrelevance.
Two key ways to keep up:
- WIL as a Workforce Laboratory
Co-op work experiences have always reflected industry innovation. Social media roles, data analysis, and user experience—students were doing this work before it was mainstream. Now, we need to ask: What can students build with AI?
Let them be the ones who say, “You don’t need to do that manually anymore.” That’s how we shift from doing to designing.
- Co-Curricular Programs
These run alongside academic programs, giving students the human skills they need without navigating slow governance structures. Delivered by real-world professionals, they equip students with the skills to be agile, adaptable, and job-market ready.
Don’t Let Fear Drive the Wrong Response
In uncertain job markets, students often default to more education — grad school as a delay tactic, not a development path.
However, if our education systems fail to evolve, we’ll be graduating students with more credentials and fewer applicable skills.
More debt and less confidence.
More theory and less experience.
We don’t need more grad school for the sake of safety. We need more opportunities for skills translation and skills mobilization, showing students how to apply what they’ve learned in real-world, high-value ways.
That’s the job of every post-secondary institution right now.
So, What Now?
This disruption isn’t a problem to solve — it’s a wave to ride. And the smartest institutions and organizations will be the ones who:
- Collaborate with post-secondary to co-create flexible, forward-thinking WIL
- Integrate AI education into all levels of talent development
- Treat students as innovation partners, not just interns
- Fund co-curricular programs that embed future-ready skills
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
We’re working with institutions, governments, and organizations across North America to reimagine how we prepare early talent through strategy, education, strengths-based development, and real-world innovation.
Join the conversation on our LinkedIn post — we want to hear about how you’re navigating this shift.
#TheHiveNetwork #FutureOfWork #WIL #AIandCareers #HigherEd #EarlyTalent #TalentStrategy #CareerEducation #SkillsTranslation #ChangeReady #DisruptionIsOpportunity
🐝 The Hive Network—Weekly Roundup of Career Ed, WIL, and Student Success Roles Across Canada
📅 Posted: Week of June 5, 2025
British Columbia (BC)
- Instructor/Coordinator, Workplace Essential Skills Training Program – VIU
Posting – Closes: June 11, 2025
- Student Services Assistant, Employment Access & Skills Development – VCC
Posting – Closes: June 11, 2025
- Director, Student Success – KPU
Posting – Open until filled
- Coordinator, Student Experience & Development – SFU
Posting – Closes: June 6, 2025
- Executive Director, Co-operative Education Program + Career Services – UVIC
Please contact Carol Robinson or Michelle Grennan at 604-998-4032 or email [email protected]
Alberta (AB)
- Apprenticeship Programs Administration Coordinator – Red Deer Polytechnic
Posting – Closes: June 11, 2025
- Business Development Officer—Workforce Development – Bow Valley College
Posting – Closes: June 17, 2025
- Industry Engagement Lead – Bow Valley College
Posting – Closes: June 16, 2025
- Business Development Lead – NAIT
Posting – Closes: June 14, 2025
- Business Support Coordinator – SAIT
Posting – Closes: June 6, 2025
- Community and Student Engagement Coordinator – Grande Prairie – University of Alberta
Posting – Closes: June 18, 2025
- Field Experience and Practicum Coordinator – Mount Royal
Posting – Closes: June 9, 2025
- Field Education Coordinator – University of Calgary
Posting – Closes: June 10, 2025
- Experiential Learning Specialist – University of Calgary
Posting – Closes: June 16, 2025
- Director – Applied Research – Saskatchewan Polytechnic
Posting – Closes: June 11, 2025
- Field Practicum Coordinator (Term) – First Nations University of Canada
Posting – Closes: June 10, 2025
Ontario (ON)
- Placement Advisor – Humber
Posting – Closes: June 9, 2025
- Manager, STEAM Academy – FT Admin (Temp) – Humber
Posting – Closes: June 15, 2025
- Employment Consultant / Job Developer – Lambton College
Posting – Closes: June 5, 2025
- Project Coordinator, Faculty of Engineering – McMaster University
Posting – Closes: June 10, 2025
- Career Development Advisor (6-month contract) – McMaster University
Posting – Closes: June 9, 2025
- Associate Director, Careers & Experience – Western University
Posting – Closes: June 16, 2025
- Career Services Officer – Employer Specialist – Western University
Posting – Posted: December 25, 2006 (still live)
- Experiential Learning Officer – University of Toronto Mississauga
Posting – Closes: June 12, 2025
- Community Engagement Coordinator – University of Niagara Falls Canada (UNF)
Posting – Closes: Open
New Brunswick (NB)
- Manager, Student Success – University of New Brunswick
Posting – Closes: June 18, 2025
Nova Scotia (NS)
- Employment Specialist (TS13) – Truro Campus – NSCC
Posting – Closes: June 10, 2025
Newfoundland & Labrador (NFLD)
- Director, Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship – Memorial University
Posting – Closes: June 26, 2025
If you’re hiring for a role in Career Education, WIL, or Student Development in Canada, send it our way to be featured in the next Hive Network update: [email protected].