Are Colleges Doing Enough To Prepare Students For The Workforce

Are colleges doing enough to prepare students for the workforce? A college degree has traditionally been a strong indicator that one is ready and fully competent to succeed in an entry-level job. Students pay large amounts of money, and often find themselves in debt, in order to afford college tuition. Therefore, they expect to get the most out of their education, with hopes of attaining a job as graduates. Ideally, four years of undergraduate studies are crucial and usually sufficient, depending on one’s career choice, in shaping students by helping them develop skills and experience that will ultimately be necessary in their future in the workforce. Recently, however, both students and employers agree that graduates are not fully prepared

In light of this, companies and business leaders have taken steps to improve the situation, including: delving deeper to find a job candidate’s work ethic, hire on the basis of attitude, rather than skills, and later train employees, and increase corporate training budgets to ensure employees receive the opportunity to improve their skills and benefit society in general. Nonetheless, graduate unpreparedness is an issue that needs to be addressed by colleges and universities in the United States.

In order to better understand the issue of job unpreparedness, it is important to take into account the experiences of graduate students in the post-college workforce. The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU)

According to a U.S. News report, for instance, The Minnesota College has “doubled the number of career counselors to 10 over the past year and assigned them to specific majors” (Gearon). The report continues that counselors now have more time to help students explore their interests and strengths and find internships. Written by Christopher J. Gearon, who specializes on health and education issues, the same report explores The University of Notre Dame in Indiana, which invites all incoming students to “start filling a digital portfolio with their goals, plans and samples of their best work, for example.” In addition to providing campus resources for student success and readiness, some universities even provide funding so students can take unpaid internships. According to Colgate University, the school’s summer grant program has “raised $2.6 million to make such experiences possible for students who otherwise might have to wait tables or work as camp counselors to make money”. Clearly, the issue of student preparedness, despite proving to be prominent, cannot be broadened to every college and university; several institutions provide the necessary support to ensure their graduates do not lack important skills or knowledge when