Career preparedness amongst college students has been a longstanding topic of conversation. We’re now seeing institutions take steps to address the gaps between material learned in college and knowledge required for smooth and successful entrance to the workforce. The article from Education Dive (linked below) provides additional details, but here are a few quick highlights.
But somewhere in between the nation’s workforce imperatives and millennial approaches to professional satisfaction is the notion that colleges and universities have to work to meet the needs of both constituent groups. And while it may present a significant challenge, some schools and organizations are achieving the objective with specific initiatives to increase exposure and build interest in a variety of fields.
The United Negro College Fund has been quite active announcing $35 million in grants to spur career development and preparation at 24 universities, including Florida Memorial University.
“Our goal for these young people is to help them find their passion. A job that you don’t enjoy doing everyday is a sentence, not a career,” says Florida Memorial University President Roslyn Clark-Artis. “But we’re also charged with maximizing that interest, so showing more opportunities in their chosen career fields is our charge as an institution.”
Identifying the best ways to close the preparedness gap will require a series of alternatives to be explored across different types of institutions depending on students motivations and individual needs. We expect to see additional efforts unfold on campuses in 2017 and the years ahead.
Higher ed seeking new ways to spur interest and access to workforce development
