When Universities Fail, Schools Step Up

The government is solving an education crisis that universities created, and it should worry anyone hiring entry-level talent right now.

The Kitchen Table Test

Five years ago, Mr David Richards MBE, Co-Founder of Yorkshire AI Labs, sat with five of his daughter's close friends around their kitchen table. All had just left university. Chemistry, biology, business. Each had been sold the same story: obtain the degree, secure the career.

None of them work in that field today, as Mr David Richards MBE recounted in a recent LinkedIn post that captured a widespread frustration with the current state of higher education.

That's not unusual anymore. That's structural collapse. And this week, the UK government has essentially admitted it by announcing the first major overhaul of the national curriculum in over a decade.

Children will learn financial literacy. They'll understand mortgages, budgeting, and pensions. They'll learn to spot disinformation and AI-generated content. By 2028, they'll have a new qualification in data science and AI.

The message is clear: schools are now resolving the issue that universities previously overlooked.

Why Universities Stopped Delivering

The data present a stark picture. Just 59 per cent of UK graduates are in full-time employment 15 months after completing their studies, down from 61 per cent the previous year. Worse still, only 30 per cent of 2025 graduates report landing jobs that are actually related to their degree, down sharply from 41 per cent in 2024. That's not wobble. That's freefall.

The culprit is straightforward enough. AI is automating the routine tasks that used to be entry points for junior staff in law, finance, consulting, and software development. Employers are increasing the requirements for first jobs in the absence of these stepping stones. They want either elite brand graduates who fit the narrative or people with practical skills they can deploy on day one. The middle tier, the backbone of British higher education, is getting squeezed from both sides. However, universities have consistently defended their model rather than making the necessary adjustments.

At Russell Group universities, British students face A-level requirements of AAA or A*. Overseas students on identical courses often need just CCC or DDD. This issue isn't about ability. It's about cash flow. Home fees are capped. International fees are not. When admissions are adjusted to match funding gaps, education stops being a level field. It becomes a marketplace.

The deeper shift is more troubling still. Universities pivoted long ago from selling knowledge to selling status. The tutorials, the networks, and the nameplate no longer hold the same value. These are what parents will pay for. Knowledge is a commodity now. Validation is priceless.

What the Government Is Doing Instead

Compare that to what the government's curriculum review recommends.

Financial literacy will be compulsory in primary school. Citizenship becomes compulsory in primary schools to ensure that all pupils learn financial and media literacy, as well as about democracy and government. Computing GCSE will expand beyond coding into data science. New qualifications in AI and data science will be available for students aged 16 to 18.

The implementation strategy is deliberate. Schools provide four terms of notice. Changes take effect in September 2028. That's not rushed. That signals the government understands what universities clearly don't: building capability takes time, investment, and genuine partnership with educators and employers.

Professor Becky Francis, who led the review, has identified what's actually going wrong in the system. Her research found that "when young people progress from primary to secondary school, typically this is a time when their learning can start falling behind, and that's particularly the case for kids from socially disadvantaged backgrounds."

This observation is the crux of why the curriculum overhaul exists. By incorporating practical financial literacy, an understanding of AI, and critical thinking from the school level onwards, the new system eliminates the barriers that cause many young people to fall behind during transitional periods. It's not about adding fluff. It's about addressing a structural problem that universities have consistently ignored.

The thinking is clear. Young people need to leave school with an understanding of how the world actually works, not just knowledge about it.

Why This Matters Beyond the Classroom

The AI and data science components of these reforms represent the most significant shift in how schools prepare students for modern work. By 2028, every student will have exposure to data thinking, algorithmic literacy, and the practical applications of AI in real world contexts. This is not abstract computer science. It is about understanding how AI changes decision making, work processes, and career trajectories.

The new qualifications in AI and data science for 16 to 18 year olds will create a generation that does not fear or mystify these technologies. They will understand the capabilities, limitations, and ethical considerations from the ground up. For employers, this means entry level hires who can immediately contribute to AI integration discussions rather than needing months of foundational training.

For project delivery professionals, this matters immediately. Your future workforce will not just be numerically literate. They will be digitally literate, AI aware, and trained to think across disciplines. That is precisely the profile needed to solve complex problems in modern project environments where AI tools are becoming standard infrastructure.

Importantly, the reforms also balance technical skills with broader capabilities. The removal of the English Baccalaureate opens space for creative subjects such as music, art, and drama, acknowledging that innovation requires both technical and creative thinking. Financial literacy ensures students understand the economic realities they are entering. Media literacy teaches them to distinguish signal from noise in an age of AI generated content.

The creative dimension should not be understated. Ed Sheeran made this point directly when he praised the changes. He noted that the curriculum reforms "give young people hope and the opportunity to study music." His reasoning was personal but telling. "Without the encouragement I received in school, especially from my music teacher, I wouldn't be a musician today."

Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed this sentiment, writing, "We will make sure every child has access to those experiences so that creativity isn't a privilege but a right."

This isn't just about music. It's about signalling that there are multiple paths to capability, confidence, and success. Financial literacy matters. AI understanding matters. However, so does the ability to think creatively, communicate effectively, and solve problems that don't have predetermined answers. Arts Council England called the reforms "a great day for the next generation of creative talent in England."

The Real Beneficiaries

For anyone managing projects, this matters immediately. 87 per cent of executives report skill gaps in their workforce. Fewer than half have a plan to address them. 94 per cent face AI-critical skill shortages today. One in three reports gaps of 40 per cent or more.

By 2028, when these changes take effect, new graduates will start their careers with AI literacy already embedded. By 2028, new graduates will integrate AI literacy into their careers, rather than adding it as an afterthought. They won't be forced to apologise for something they didn't learn in college. Built in from school onwards.

But there's something more significant happening. Strategic workforce planning is shifting from role-based hiring to skills-based hiring. New graduates won't just have degrees; they will also have valuable experience. They'll have demonstrated competency in data literacy, financial reasoning, and critical thinking about how systems work. That's not a credential. That's a foundation.

For project delivery professionals, the implications are real. Your entry-level hires starting in 2028 will have a different profile. They'll arrive with fewer illusions about what a degree means. They'll have a practical understanding of the economy they're entering. They'll have learnt to consider trade-offs rather than simply accumulate knowledge. This shift impacts the onboarding process. That changes the training strategy. It means organisations that are thinking about how to integrate this new profile of junior talent will have a structural advantage over those who wait.

What Project Leaders Need to Know Now

The government's move to embed AI skills from the school level signals something important: the workforce development conversation is finally shifting. Project Flux has been emphasising this point for several months. Now the question is whether your organisations will shift with it.

By 2028, entry-level graduates won't start from zero on AI literacy. They'll understand data thinking, financial constraints, and how systems actually work. It's a structural shift in workforce readiness that smart organisations should already be planning.

Organisations that recognise such opportunities early and align their graduate intake strategies will have a two-year advantage over competitors. You'll focus training on application and judgement, not foundational literacy. Your teams will already think about trade-offs and practical constraints.

That's how you build resilient project teams for the next decade. This approach does not rely on universities producing pre-existing talent. However, it is essential to recognise that schools are now assuming the role that universities previously neglected: developing AI-literate, financially aware, and critically thinking graduates from the ground up.

Please consider beginning to plan your graduate strategy now. In 2028, the landscape is expected to undergo significant changes. This is precisely why Project Flux exists: to help project delivery professionals understand these shifts and move ahead of them.

The Uncomfortable Truth

None of this will correct what's broken, and the implementation risks are real.

Head teachers have already raised concerns about the feasibility.

Education spokeswoman Munira Wilson was direct about the challenge: "Without a costed plan and proper workforce strategy, these reforms will stretch teachers even further and fail our children."

The issue isn't theoretical hand-wringing. This is the lived reality across schools right now. Budgets are already squeezed. Teacher recruitment is already difficult. And now the government is asking schools to do more without additional resources. That's a gap that won't close unless someone actually funds it.

There's also a risk of displacement rather than progress. If schools teach financial literacy and AI without connecting it to how work actually changes, without showing young people where those skills lead, you've just shifted the burden from universities to schools. Students still need pathways. They still need to see the connection between what they're learning and what work actually demands.

The deeper structural problems remain unresolved. Universities still prioritise status over outcomes. The degree still functions as a signal rather than a skill. The economy still lacks transparent data about which courses deliver on promises and which don't.

What Actually Changes Things

Three things need to happen if these reforms are to avoid becoming well-intentioned failure number two.

First, universities need honesty. If you're selling status, be upfront about it. Price it accordingly. Either redesign the curriculum to compete on outcomes or stop claiming that's what you do.

Second, employers need partnership, not complaints. The most successful organisations don't wait for universities to solve this problem. They're using AI-driven workforce planning to align hiring with skills requirements. They're working with educational partners to co-design curricula. They're investing in ongoing upskilling programs that treat learning as a core strategy, not a side project. Organisations that make these changes don't just hire better. They become employers of choice.

Third, and most importantly, stop viewing education as a process that only occurs during the first 25 years of life and then ceases to exist. The curriculum reforms assume that children leaving school at 18 will be equipped for careers that change every five years. They won't. The real advantage goes to organisations that build learning into the way work happens. Project teams should embed capability development within project delivery rather than treating it as a separate training session.

The Signal to Act Now

The reason this curriculum reform is happening now is that universities failed to change when they needed to. They had every incentive to build graduates who could navigate a world transformed by AI. Instead, they optimised for rankings, endowments, and prestige.

This is what happens when institutions stop serving their stated purpose. The market finds another way. Schools are stepping up because universities stepped back.

The real question isn't whether the reforms are perfect. It's whether the government's reforms will embed quickly enough, whether schools will receive the necessary resources, and whether employers will take partnership seriously.

For now, one thing is clear: the old model is dead. The kitchen table conversation from five years ago won't work anymore. "Get the degree, get the job." Young people know it. Employers know it. Now the government is building education around that reality.

The students coming through the reformed curriculum in 2028 will be the first to truly understand it. For project delivery professionals, that's your signal. Start thinking now about how the new syllabus will impact your hiring, onboarding, and team development. The organisations that move first will have an advantage.

Begin planning your graduate intake strategy for 2028 and beyond. The playing field is about to change. Be ready.