The perception that colleges and universities aren’t
doing enough to prepare graduates for the workforce appears to be widespread. Just
13% of Americans reported feeling confident that colleges are doing a good job
in preparing students, according to a Gallup poll released in April.
The survey also found that just 6% of adults with college degrees strongly agreed that
college grads were prepared for the workforce. At the same time, 96% of
Americans in the survey said that it was important for adults to have a degree
beyond high school.
“’Unnerving’ is the only word that comes to mind
regarding this finding,” wrote Brandon Busteed, executive director of Gallup Education.
“Why? Because no matter whom you ask—the general population of Americans,
parents for 5th- to 12th-graders, or current college freshmen—they all give the
same answer to their top reason for valuing or attending college: to get a good
job.”
Many point to a skills gap as the problem, but Busteed
said the real issue is the communication and understanding gap between higher
education and employers. Institutions are failing to provide real-world work
experience, projects that require solving real problems, and mentoring from
faculty and staff.
“The honest question is whether higher-education
leaders and their regional and national employer counterparts have the courage
to change,” he wrote. “First, to admit the current system isn’t working the way
we want it to, and second, to take the steps needed to get on track.”
