Thursday, January 17, 2019

Preparing students for work

Many faculty and staff in higher education bristle at the assertion that one of the primary reasons to attend university is preparation for work. Although there's more to learning and development in the college years than just getting ready for a job, it is very important to students and to employers. Cengage conducted a survey to see if current assumptions about graduates' readiness for work are true or not. The biggest gap is that students believe they are much more ready than employers. The report closes with recommendations to enhance students' experiences so they are ready upon graduation; they include pursuing internships, getting involved on campus, improve their writing, and compile an e-portfolio that reflects the "whole student" experience.

A complementary survey of 5,000 students provides advice to universities on how they can do a better job responding to students' needs in preparing for work.

A caveat - The Inside Higher Education summary of the above Cengage studies called the missing preparation "soft skills." This is a demeaning reference that should be avoided - what employers want and students seek to develop are anything but "soft."

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