Evolution of the education system

It used to be that someone who got a bachelors degree was assured a job in a reasonable company & he or she worked there till retirement in most cases.

Then we upped this so at least 4 years of college education were required to get a worthwhile degree which would assure you of success in the corporate world with a bit of luck & timely job hopping.

Next we saw that people who did 6 years & got a Masters were more or less in the same boat as the 4 year degree holders.

Now, a four or six year education isnt a guarantee to anything at all, you go out there and struggle to find a job, any job & then hope to transition into a career or position that will give you the opportunity to grow & excel. A common approach is to have multiple certificates that are in demand professionally, this gives some edge over other similarly qualified candidates.

In all this time, one thing that has remained a constant of sorts is the ever increasing cost of education, higher education especially.

While corporations embraced outsourcing, freelancers, automation, AI, Robotics to cut down on human resource costs, Most individuals still go through the four or six year education cycle, spending big time in order to start at the bottom of the corporate ladder.

Where is the change in our higher education system that reflects the changing face of the job market & prepares the students for earning a living in todays world? Is it there but Im too rooted in my own experiences to see it? or are the educational institutions which earn a huge income from the current system slow or simply not interested in adapting to changes that might threaten their revenue stream?

What is the parent & student of today to do to prepare to be a productive part of the workforce of tomorrow & do education institutions need to change & how?