The transition from education to university and employment is increasingly complex. Students are expected not only to acquire disciplinary knowledge and qualifications but also to become independent learners, effective communicators, responsible users of digital technologies, collaborative problem solvers and adaptable participants in rapidly changing educational and professional environments. These expectations have particular significance in Australia, where tertiary education reform is placing greater emphasis on participation, pathways between vocational education and training (VET) and higher education, and alignment between education and future workforce requirements. Simultaneously, digitalisation and generative artificial intelligence (AI) are changing how students learn and how professional work is performed. This conceptual and practice-based article examines student readiness as a multidimensional capacity that extends beyond academic achievement or qualification completion. Drawing on contemporary Australian policy, national education and workforce evidence, and relevant academic literature, the article argues that academic readiness, university transition and employment readiness should be understood as connected developmental objectives. It proposes an Integrated Student Readiness Framework (ISRF) comprising six interrelated dimensions: academic foundations; learner agency and independence; communication and collaboration; digital and AI capability; industry and workplace connection; and reflective adaptability. The framework positions readiness as a developmental process that can be embedded within curriculum, teaching, assessment, student support and industry-connected learning rather than treated as an additional activity near graduation. Implications for educators, educational leaders and institutions are considered, together with priorities for future empirical validation of the framework in Australian tertiary education.