New research from Pearson and Amazon Web Services highlights a mismatch between employer demand for AI-ready graduates and how well universities are closing the skills gap. The report found 53% of employers say their main challenge is finding graduates with the right AI skills. While 78% of higher education leaders reported meeting employer expectations, only 28% of employers said universities were keeping pace with AI-driven change. Learners also appear to have uneven workplace readiness: only 14% of current graduates reported high proficiency applying AI in professional settings, and just 34% said they felt confident their AI use complied with institutional policies. The report’s operational implication is for campus strategy—moving from general AI literacy to structured “execution” training connected to workplace application and compliance expectations.