This article challenges higher education to confront the growing gap between students’ expectations for work-integrated learning and the reality of limited access. Arguing that this disconnect represents a “broken promise,” it reframes the issue as a systemic design failure rather than a lack of student ambition. The piece advocates for a fundamental shift—from treating work-integrated learning as a competitive, external experience to embedding it directly within the classroom—highlighting how this approach can expand access, close equity gaps, and better prepare all students with the skills and confidence needed for the workforce.