Dive Brief:
- A new survey from the Pew Research Center indicates several new trends in industrial development and attitudes about the same, as the country has produced more jobs requiring higher education (83 million) than jobs requiring lower education (65 million) in the last 35 years.
- More than 50% of employees believe that continuing education will be a major factor in their ability to achieve career success, and 72% believe that training and credentialing is a personal responsibility.
- Workers are far less convinced about the value of a four-year degree, as only 16% of survey participants believe a college degree prepares graduates for real-world work experience, and 50% believe college should teach more job-related skills.
Dive Insight:
Robert Morris President Chris Howard said it best in an op-ed for The Washington Post this week: "universities are not 'trade schools,' but they should prepare students for the workforce." Education remains the essential factor in qualifying and preparing individuals to work in jobs across a variety of industries, but there is great debate about the skills being taught at the baccalaureate level and how they transfer to the workplace.
To counter, many institutions are launching or partnering with companies to develop add-on credentialing programs to degree offerings, to ensure that graduates are prepared to enter select industries with balanced training and soft skills to advance as professionals.