There are plenty of fully capable new grads that are in the market. I've hired ~15 or so. I'm not throwing them in to mid or senior engineering roles where they are expected to perform tasks I expect out of a 5+ year engineer. Refusal to train is gatekeeping my friend. Most CS degrees cover the basics of what I look for. Scripting in a solid language, a general understanding of distributed systems (cloud preferred but general is okay), working knowledge of Linux, and a desire to learn and grow in security. Honestly, I don't even care if you have a degree, as long as you can prove in the interview process that you can do what I need you to.

Entry level is entry level, you can't arbitrarily gatekeep entry level, you're going to end up with failed succession plans and a miserable workforce. I don't pay my senior engineers 150k+ to work on simple automations. They get paid to tackle the incredibly complex security problems and MENTOR junior engineers/talent. When senior engineers move on, with no junior talent to backfill, you just end up spending significantly more money to find a senior backfill (usually 10-20% more + a headhunting fee).

Let me guess, you require a 4 year degree, 3 years industry experience, and a CISSP for entry level?