critical thinking skills assignment
2. It is important for our graduates to be productive members of the work-force. How can colleges / universities better prepare under graduates to meet these challenges?
Colleges and universities better prepare under graduates by exposing them into the tough world that they will be facing after they graduate. Attending higher education institutions are not always the answer because some people have better skills in other things than education. This shows that they can succeed in different ways. This change refutes the idea that “college is the only pathway to success.” Studies clearly show that students earning a STEM degree (or others in demand) will earn more over their lifetime than those who do not have one. But this assumes that all degreed graduates will be able to find a job in a market that is increasingly placing more value on certified skills and professional certifications over the bachelor’s degree. Harvard Business School released a study in February 2011 that asserts that for all jobs created between 2008 and 2018, 27% of people with post-secondary licenses or certificates will earn more than the average bachelor’s degree recipient. Certified Professionals representing one of many career fields, including: engineering, technology, healthcare, accounting and finance, construction, legal, and law enforcement are the new labor market of this century. Presently, our market has more degreed graduates than jobs, and more jobs than technically certified employees. While the economy is clearly the reason for a high unemployment rate, our nation currently has jobs that cannot be filled.
Why is Higher Education not always the answer? Our economy is changing. The Information Age is now that of Big Data. The country’s infrastructure is aging. Our population is aging. These are just three examples of a workforce that needs technical certifications that focus more on how to apply knowledge immediately to challenges at hand. Yes, advanced degrees are valuable to
Colleges and universities better prepare under graduates by exposing them into the tough world that they will be facing after they graduate. Attending higher education institutions are not always the answer because some people have better skills in other things than education. This shows that they can succeed in different ways. This change refutes the idea that “college is the only pathway to success.” Studies clearly show that students earning a STEM degree (or others in demand) will earn more over their lifetime than those who do not have one. But this assumes that all degreed graduates will be able to find a job in a market that is increasingly placing more value on certified skills and professional certifications over the bachelor’s degree. Harvard Business School released a study in February 2011 that asserts that for all jobs created between 2008 and 2018, 27% of people with post-secondary licenses or certificates will earn more than the average bachelor’s degree recipient. Certified Professionals representing one of many career fields, including: engineering, technology, healthcare, accounting and finance, construction, legal, and law enforcement are the new labor market of this century. Presently, our market has more degreed graduates than jobs, and more jobs than technically certified employees. While the economy is clearly the reason for a high unemployment rate, our nation currently has jobs that cannot be filled.
Why is Higher Education not always the answer? Our economy is changing. The Information Age is now that of Big Data. The country’s infrastructure is aging. Our population is aging. These are just three examples of a workforce that needs technical certifications that focus more on how to apply knowledge immediately to challenges at hand. Yes, advanced degrees are valuable to