Ratnesh Jha asks why graduates aren’t workforce ready and explains how to fix it Higher education has long been one of the clearest pathways to opportunity. A degree signals readiness for the workforce, reflecting subject-matter knowledge, critical thinking, and the ability to contribute in professional environments. But that signal is becoming less complete. Across industries and geographies, employers are increasingly finding that while graduates arrive with strong academic foundations, they do not always bring the level of English proficiency required to operate effectively in today’s global workplace. This is not a question of potential or effort. It reflects a growing disconnect between how English is developed in education and how it is used in practice. Recent global research among HR decision-makers underscores the scale of this challenge.…