With the vigorous development of the digital content industry, the demand for talents in the animation industry has become increasingly diversified and professionalized. However, there is still a certain disconnect between the talent cultivation of animation majors in colleges and universities and industrial needs, leading to intense employment competition for graduates. Guided by the employment-oriented approach, this paper first analyzes the core competencies required of animation talents and examines the main problems existing in the current talent cultivation of animation majors in colleges and universities. On this basis, it proposes optimization strategies such as industry demand-oriented curriculum reform, deepening the integration of production and education, building a “double-qualified” teaching team, and improving the employment service system. The aim is to enhance the employment competitiveness of animation professionals and promote effective connection between talent cultivation and industry development.