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This spring in Austin, a room full of civic and business leaders gathered for the (AU40) Awards, which honor emerging talent across the city, including a category devoted entirely to mentorship. This resonated with me, knowing that a fundamental pillar in WGU’s online format is designating a mentor to every student for the entirety of their academic journey.

As a finalist in this category for 2026, I find it noteworthy that AU40 makes a point to acknowledge the mentors who often help these under 40 recipients achieve so much at such a young age. The instinct to honor the mentors and mentees is worth paying attention to because employers across the country are asking themselves a version of the same question: Who is preparing students for what comes after they earn their degree? How will young or new talent continue to learn after their academic journey concludes? 

Employers Changed the Question

Last fall, WGU surveyed more than 3,100 employers for our Workforce Decoded report to get a pulse on current workforce development strengths and pain points. The findings describe a labor market in the middle of a rewrite. Nearly four in ten employers say they are reducing entry-level hiring because of artificial intelligence, and these reductions are concentrated in technology, finance and professional services. Seventy-six percent say AI has changed the kinds of candidates they look for at all. 

That is good news for working adults, but it is also a logistical problem. A portfolio of degrees, certificates, licenses and demonstrated skills does not assemble itself — especially for the 35-year-old respiratory therapist in Houston studying between shifts, or the paraprofessional in Baton Rouge finishing a teaching license. Somebody has to help them see the whole board.

The Mentor Is the Infrastructure 

At WGU, that somebody has a name and a phone number. Upon enrollment, every student is assigned a program mentor who remains with them through graduation at no additional cost. It is the most distinctive thing about how we operate. 

For most of WGU’s history, mentorship has been considered a retention tool. Recently, we have been deliberately changing that conversation. A mentor check-in used to center on pace: Are you on track to graduate in a timely manner? What barriers may prevent that and how can we clear them? Increasingly, mentor conversations also center on destination: What role are you aiming for in the workforce? Which employers in your metro are hiring for it? What credential or certification would strengthen your case? What should you be building now so that graduation is a launch rather than a finish line? 

Our instructors reinforce that. WGU faculty are practicing professionals — nurses, school leaders, security engineers, accountants — who teach in the field they work in. When a student in our cybersecurity program asks whether a certification is worth the time, the answer comes from someone who has sat on the hiring side of that table.

An Invitation 

As WGU’s students graduate and become full-time employees themselves, I hope to see them, and others, take on this role of mentorship. Whether through a formal mentorship within an organization or informally through one-off interactions with interns or students, these conversations matter. In an economy that is being molded by new technology and evolving more rapidly than we can predict, helping someone see what comes next is not a soft benefit; it’s how a workforce gets built.