Employers Must Broaden their Definitions of College

After reading copious resumes and cover letters, what have you noticed about the education of the job candidates you represent?  In general, what types of assumptions are employers making about the level of education they seek in employees?  Are students encouraged to go into an academic disciplines for career reasons that actually no longer lead to better job opportunities?

Employees are facing changing expectations about their educational backgrounds.  A recent report released by Corporate Voices for Working Families and Civic Enterprises titled “Across the Great Divide”– finds that although there is great unemployment in the United States, a majority of employers are facing a major challenge recruiting employees with the skills, training and education their companies require.

In the report, business and college leaders report on the state of America’s higher education, the skills gap and what is needed for the United States to be competitive in today’s challenging global economy.

The report urges a shift in thinking to adjust to the current economic demands.  It suggests that the value of short-term degrees and credentials must be recognized.  Meanwhile, the report calls on Americans to broaden the national focus from college access to the imperative for college completion.  Apparently, a smattering of completed coursework in liberal arts is no longer that impressive.

The report predicts that by the end of this decade an equal percentage of jobs will require a bachelor’s degree or better (33 percent) as some college or a two-year associate’s degree (30 percent).