Colleges are embedding workplace experiences into curricula as employers sharpen hiring criteria for new graduates. Universities such as Northeastern and Carnegie Mellon emphasize co‑ops, internships, and early career coaching; employers, including Bank of America, say they continue to hire large cohorts of recent grads while warning that younger workers are anxious about AI’s impact on jobs. The employer side flagged scale: Bank of America hired 2,000 new graduates from 200,000 applicants, underscoring fierce competition and the premium placed on work experience. Institutions are responding by expanding paid placements, career services, and employer partnerships to lift post‑graduation employment rates.