According to yet another new survey, America’s employers believe that colleges and universities and not adequately preparing students for success after graduation.
While this is not a revelation to those who’ve listened to the collective moans of employers over the last decade, what is surprising is that this particular study is not one conducted by a conservative pro-business organization or publication, but one produced by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools.
In other words, even the governing bodies of higher education are starting to get it that higher education hasn’t yet got it.
Employers aren’t rushing to recruit
While colleges and universities are turning out grads who are book smart and techno savvy, these young adults aren’t able to cut the mustard in the workplace and prospective employers aren’t rushing to recruit them.
While it’s trendy for bleeding heart college students to occupy public parks and protest big business for exporting jobs and for making them pay back their student loans (and for whatever else they are protesting this week) a better use of time might be to channel that same energy towards developing the skills that would make them attractive to the employers they are rallying against.
A college course that instills work ethic would be a step in the right direction.
This was originally published on Eric Chester’s Reviving Work Ethic blog. His new book is Reviving Work Ethic: A Leader’s Guide to Ending Entitlement and Restoring Pride in the Emerging Workforce. For copies, visit revivingworkethic.com.