• Pearson published U.S. research with AWS on June 30, 2026, flagging a skills gap between student AI use and employer needs.
• Survey of 500+ learners, employers, education leaders: 80% of students use AI tools; 23% get hands-on, applied instruction.
• Employers still value degrees: 69% said AI makes university education more essential; only 12% rated graduates “excellent” at evaluating AI outputs.
• Industry-academia alignment looked weak: 10% of higher education leaders reported frequent, ongoing engagement with employers.
• Report urged applied AI experience, stronger faculty capability, tighter employer feedback loops to improve workforce readiness.

Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. Pearson plc published the original content used to generate this news brief via PR Newswire (Ref. ID: NY94684) on June 30, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.