Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter here.

Entry-level jobs used to serve a clear purpose: They were the first rung on the career ladder. They allowed young adults to learn, contribute and earn a living as they transitioned from college students to career professionals.

Today, that rung is disappearing, replaced by internships that often fail to provide meaningful experience or fair compensation. As a result, an entire generation of college students is being locked out of the workplaces they’re trying to enter.

The shift is subtle but significant. Many supposed entry-level roles are now offered as internships or require applicants to already have years of work experience. This creates a paradox in which employers expect students and graduates to have experience before they are able to gain any.

The heart of the issue is a split between what internships promise and what they deliver. In theory, internships are designed to provide hands-on learning, mentorship and exposure to a workplace environment. In practice, many interns find themselves relegated to low-skill, administrative tasks — busywork that 70% of hiring managers believe could be done by an artificial intelligence.

While these tasks may offer a glimpse into professional operations, they........

© The Daily Orange