By: Ginger Ontiveros, President & CEO
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New Grads Facing a Tough Job Market: Internships Matter More Than Ever for the Class of 2025

The Class of 2025 is preparing to graduate into a job market that, in many ways, mirrors the uncertainty faced by the Class of 2020. But here’s the difference: we’ve been here before—and this time, we have a chance to do better.

These new grads are eager, educated, and digitally fluent—but many are missing the one thing employers still prioritize above all else: experience.

And that’s where you come in.

What They’re Facing:

• Fewer entry-level roles: Hiring for early-career talent is down roughly 17% since 2019, and many “entry-level” listings now ask for 2–3 years of experience.
• Sky-high competition: New grads are competing with laid-off professionals, career changers, and AI-augmented recruiting tools.
• A shifting economy: Automation and cautious hiring have created bottlenecks, with many young adults finding themselves in jobs that don’t require their degree—or not working at all.

But these aren’t signs of a lost generation. They’re signals that our hiring systems need a tune-up—and internships are one of the most effective tools we have.

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Internships: A Win-Win Solution

Internships and paid work-based learning experiences give students the one thing they can’t get from a classroom: proximity to real work.

That proximity builds confidence, communication skills, career clarity—and yes, résumé-worthy experience.

What’s more:

• Students who complete internships are twice as likely to land a full-time job after graduation.
• They’re also more likely to stay—internships improve employee retention and reduce costly mis-hires.
• Employers get to build a talent pipeline, shape future hires, and infuse their teams with fresh ideas and digital fluency.

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A Call to Employers: Make Space

If you’re an employer, you don’t have to overhaul your hiring process to make a difference.

Start here:

• Create one internship role tied to meaningful projects.
• Partner with local schools or intermediaries, like Tomorrow’s Talent, to design short-term, paid opportunities.
• Mentor just one student through job shadowing or a project-based externship.
• Loosen degree and experience requirements for select early-career roles and focus on skills, mindset, and potential.

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Final Thought: Talent Is Ready. Are We?

The Class of 2025 isn’t lacking ability. They’re lacking access. And that’s something we can fix—starting now.

If we want a future workforce that’s prepared, engaged, and ready to lead, we need to offer real opportunities to learn on the job—not just after they’ve landed one.

Let’s make space, open doors, and ensure this class doesn’t become another cautionary tale—but a comeback story we’re proud to be part of.