Higher Ed Is Failing In The Top Value It Promises: Jobs
Forbes
Dana Manciagli
August 11, 2020
With the belief that good things will come out of the pandemic, I hope it prompts colleges and universities to say, “We are failing our paying customers, and we can do better… right now.” We are in a perfect storm: climbing student loan debt, record-high unemployment, financial crisis and skyrocketing costs of higher education. The number-one value proposition for many students and parents remains how much they will be able to earn once they graduate… and if it will be enough to repay the cost of their education.
A Texas policy group recently developed an online tool to further the idea that public and nonprofit institutions — and not just for-profit colleges — should face scrutiny for how well graduates do financially. The senior analyst was shocked “how many programs are failing and how many students are attending those programs.”
Regardless of the degree, job search skills are among the top professional development skills that students need most and are lacking. Students need to master these skills to secure internships, apprenticeships, entry-level jobs and senior positions alike. However, we often fail to arm our graduates with the skills to compete for meaningful employment. And the competition is fierce, as shared in my earlier Forbes article.
