A Cultural and Critical Perspective of  College Students’ Employability Skills:  Hora Talk at Univ of Michigan Dec 2018

Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Matthew T. Hora, PhD
Director, Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions
Assistant Professor, Department of Liberal Arts & Applied Studies
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Email: matthew.hora@wisc.edu Twitter:@matt_hora @UWMadisonCCWT Web: ccwt.wceruw.org
Slides posted on http://www.slideshare.net
A Cultural and Critical Perspective of 
College Students’ Employability Skills: 
Implications for Higher Education

Today’s Talk
1. Challenges spurring debates about workforce education
2. Responses by educational sector
3. Findings from research on skills and internships
4. Implications for future of workforce education

Background to the Research Program
Institutional/Cultural Factors
Inﬂuencing Teaching in
Higher Ed
Education-Work
Dynamics & Skills Gaps
Nature of “Soft
Skills” Across
Professions
Literature (BA) Applied Anthropology
(MAA)
Learning Sciences
(PhD)
Vegetable Farming Food Systems Research
How Structure of
Internships Shapes
Student Outcomes

“I've frequently heard from employers that they cannot ﬁnd
enough skilled workers to ﬁll positions. The skills gap is a
very real concern in Wisconsin and around the country.”
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker 3/24/13

“Is the education system not adequately preparing the
workforce? The consensus is yes.
Too many colleges are graduating students with liberal arts
degrees in limited-job specialties such as Renaissance art.”
WI Policy Research Insitute, 2015
Image Source: http://www.atlantic.com

“We read the report and waited to get to
the part where the professor talked to
manufacturers,” Morgan wrote.
“Unfortunately, he did not.”
Jim Morgan, President of the WI Manufacturers & Commerce
Foundation (3/1/13)

Trends and challenges spurring debates about
workforce education
Changing nature of workplace tasks
Skills mismatches, shortages, and gaps
Concerns about college student employability
1
2
3

Job Displacement? Job Creation?
Importance of “soft” or “non-cognitive” skills
and/or

Skills shortages: Electricians, teachers, lobstermen
Sources: https://
www.houstonpublicmedia.org, https://
www.wowt.com, http://
www.mainebiz.biz
Capelli, P. H. (2015). Skill gaps, skills shortages, and skill mismatches: Evidence and arguments for the United States. ILR Review, 68 (2). 251-290.

History of construct
Employment status
Unemployment/labor mkt policy
Student acquisition of “correct” skills
Rise of multi-dimensional & critical models
Moreau, M. P., & Leathwood, C. (2006). Graduates' employment and the discourse of employability: a critical analysis.
Journal of Education and Work, 19(4), 305-324.

Which graduates/majors are most employable?
Source: National Association of Colleges and Employers, Job Outlook Survey 2018 Source: https://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2018/11/13/everyone-
knows-english-majors-can-get-jobs-except-employers-who-hire-them/
STfhSEbHW9TtoJmv8bPitL/story.html

Rising income inequality
Other challenges relevant for workforce education
but too rarely brought up ….
Climate change
Job quality Creativity and innovation
Taken together, we are in a challenging time with many unknowns
Racism, sexism and hiring discrimination
An educated/informed electorate

II. Responses to these Challenges by the
Educational Sector
What/who is workforce education?
Career and technical education (CTE)
2-yr technical and community colleges
Professional programs
Corporate/workplace training
General education
4-year universities
Graduate programs
Continuing education/PD
Boot camps
Programs and curriculum
Institutions

Skills- and competency based education
Sources: https://matters.madisoncollege.edu/articles/headlines/2018-03-19/12161/student-progress-on-core-workforce-skills-reported

Source: https://www.southseattle.edu/documents/worker_retraining/2008/careerpathway/nursing_map.pdf
35 Credits (Pre-Reqs Only) or
45 Credits (Pathway Program)
Nursing Career Pathway
*Job title and wage information from annual wages reported in the Occupational Employment
Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics for the Seattle/King County Workforce Development Area:
http://www.workforceexplorer.com/cgi/dataanalysis/AreaSelection.asp?tableName=Oeswage
Actual job titles and wages will vary depending on demonstrable skills and experience.
Short-Term Training
Nursing Assistant Certified
(NAC) Certificate
1 Quarter
12 Credits
Class Topics
· CPR Certification
· AIDS/HIV Certification
· Aging and Disabilities
· Monitoring & Maintaining
Patient Status
· Providing Care in a Clinical Setting
50 Hours Clinical Experience
Entry Requirements
· CASAS test: 230 Math & Reading
· Clear Criminal Background
· Meet Fitness Requirements
· Immunizations
Start Here
Career Change Tech Prep ABE / GED / ESL
Unemployed High School TANF / Food Stamps
Jobs & Wages*
(hospital, long-term care,
in-home care, etc.)
$9.23 - $14 / hour
Take State
NAC Exam
for
Certification
Licensed Practical
Nursing
Licensed Practical Nurse
(LPN) Certificate
4 Quarters
(NAC + Pre-Reqs) + application and
immunizations prior to application.
Additional proof of: CPR/AED for
the Professional Rescuer, HIV/AIDS
7 hour training, Physical exam,
Background check.
Class Topics
· Patient cross-cultural and legal
ethical concepts
· Causation of illness and
response to treatment
· Body systems
· Medical surgical nursing
· Pharmacology
· Needs of the aging patient
· Pediatric, maternal and infant
care
Entry Requirements
· Current NAC Certification
· Application by deadline + 2
Letters of Recommendation
· Immunizations
· Nursing Pre-Requisites', with
grade of 2.5 or higher
Jobs & Wages*
clinic, private practice, etc.)
$16.85 - $27.82 / hour
Take State
LPN-NCLEX
Exam for
Certification
Pre-College
Math &
English
Or, if
needed...
2 Year Degree
Registered Nurse (RN)
Associate of Applied Science
Transfer Degree in Nursing
(AAST)
(LPN Certificate + 3 Quarters)
125 or 135 Credits
(LPN Certificate + 36 Credits)
Class Topics
· Roles & responsibilities of the RN
· Nursing in obstetric and pediatric
settings
· Health promotion & wellness
· Legal and ethical issues
· Various healthcare systems
· Psychiatric disorders
· Medical-surgical acute
· care settings
· Drug therapy, intravenous therapy
· Monitoring clients’ conditions
· Leadership in nursing
· Ambulatory care, community-
based care, acute care and long
term care clinical practice
Entry Requirements
· Current LPN Certification
· 2.5+ in all LPN Classes
· Immunizations
· ENG 101 & MAT 107 (COMPASS
test: 68 Writing, 81 Reading, 71
Algebra)
Jobs & Wages*
Registered Nurse
$24.25 - $47.66 / hour
Take RN-
NCLEX
Exam for
Certification
Entry Requirements
· COMPASS test: 68
Writing, 77 Reading,
71 Algebra
· ENG 101 requires
COMPASS Reading
score of 81
2-3 Quarters
NA-C Orientation + CASAS test,
CPR/AED for Professional Rescuer
and WATCH background check
Nursing Pre-requisites
Academic Coursework
2-4 Quarters
Courses
· Anatomy/Physiology I & II
(BIOL&241 and BIOL&242)
· Microbiology (BIOL&260)
· Composition (ENGL&101)
· Elementary Statistics (MATH&146)
· Lifespan Psychology (PSYC&200)
· Intro to Chemistry (CHEM&121)
All academic coursework must be
completed with a grade of 2.5 or better
before submitting nursing application.
MMR – (Measles, Mumps, Rubella), Tdap
(Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis), Hepatitis
B (3 shot series), Varicella (Chicken pox),
TB test (2 step, or proof of negative test or
chest x-ray if positive)
Immunizations needed to work in
healthcare:
Career and guided pathways

Co-designed workplace training

Image Source:: http://www.witc.edu/newscontent/careerimpact/spring2013/preventing-a-skills-gap.pdf
Program creation/elimination

The university's clustering of
disciplines would push degree
programs to align with "career-
focused goals of students and
talent needs of the region's
communities and business," the
proposal reads.
Program creation/elimination
Source: https://www.chronicle.com/article/U-of-Wisconsin-at-Stevens/242745

Educator/trainer professional development
Learn how to teach communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and self-
motivated learning—four “soft skills” strongly linked to student success.
This course will provide college educators and administrators with a strong
foundation in the theory, research, and practical applications of these crucial
21st-century skills. You’ll also examine skills frameworks, critiques of these
frameworks, instructional design principles, and the science behind each of
the four skills.
WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?
This course is designed for postsecondary educators and administrators. It was
created by Matthew T. Hora, assistant professor of adult and higher education
at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Dr. Hora studies postsecondary
teaching, institutional reforms, and college-workforce pathways.
HOW IS IT STRUCTURED?
You’ll work on the modules one week at a time, at your own pace. Each module
includes filmed lectures by Dr. Hora and other experts in postsecondary teaching.
You’ll complete readings from the instructor and the research literature and
consider real-world case studies that challenge you to apply insights from the
course material to your own work. Discussions about the readings and case
studies provide opportunities to interact with Dr. Hora and your classmates.
For your final project, you’ll revise a syllabus or lesson plan to prominently
feature one or more of the four soft skills you’ve studied in this course.
WHAT WILL I LEARN?
At the conclusion of the course,
you will be able to demonstrate:
• An in-depth understanding of
21st-century skills frameworks
• A deeper understanding of the
research behind teamwork,
communication, critical thinking,
and self-regulated learning
• An understanding of how
these four soft skills should be
conceptualized and taught in
your own discipline
• How to incorporate best
practices for teaching these
skills in your curriculum
QUESTIONS?
Contact Prof. Hora at
matthew.hora@wisc.edu
or 608-265-5629.
17271-10/18
Teaching Soft Skills
in College Courses Certiﬁcate
Online | Seven Modules | Mar 25 - May 6, 2019 | 2.4 CEUs
$345 through February 4; $495 after. Group (3+) $245 each through February 4; $395 after.
SPRING 2019
go.wisc.edu/soft-skills
1st Course Offering: 40 students from around the world
https://continuingstudies.wisc.edu/classes/teach-soft-skills-
college-courses-certiﬁcate/

Questions educators need to ask
35 Credits (Pre-Reqs Only) or
45 Credits (Pathway Program)
Nursing Career Pathway
*Job title and wage information from annual wages reported in the Occupational Employment
Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics for the Seattle/King County Workforce Development Area:
http://www.workforceexplorer.com/cgi/dataanalysis/AreaSelection.asp?tableName=Oeswage
Actual job titles and wages will vary depending on demonstrable skills and experience.
Short-Term Training
(NAC) Certificate
1 Quarter
12 Credits
Class Topics
· CPR Certification
· AIDS/HIV Certification
· Aging and Disabilities
· Monitoring & Maintaining
Patient Status
· Providing Care in a Clinical Setting
Entry Requirements
· CASAS test: 230 Math & Reading
· Immunizations
Start Here
Career Change Tech Prep ABE / GED / ESL
Unemployed High School TANF / Food Stamps
Jobs & Wages*
in-home care, etc.)
$9.23 - $14 / hour
Take State
NAC Exam
for
Certification
Licensed Practical
Nursing
(LPN) Certificate
4 Quarters
(NAC + Pre-Reqs) + application and
immunizations prior to application.
Additional proof of: CPR/AED for
the Professional Rescuer, HIV/AIDS
7 hour training, Physical exam,
Background check.
Class Topics
· Patient cross-cultural and legal
ethical concepts
· Causation of illness and
response to treatment
· Body systems
· Medical surgical nursing
· Pharmacology
· Needs of the aging patient
· Pediatric, maternal and infant
care
Entry Requirements
· Current NAC Certification
· Immunizations
Jobs & Wages*
$16.85 - $27.82 / hour
Take State
LPN-NCLEX
Exam for
Certification
Pre-College
Math &
English
Or, if
needed...
2 Year Degree
Registered Nurse (RN)
Associate of Applied Science
Transfer Degree in Nursing
(AAST)
(LPN Certificate + 3 Quarters)
125 or 135 Credits
(LPN Certificate + 36 Credits)
Class Topics
· Roles & responsibilities of the RN
· Nursing in obstetric and pediatric
settings
· Health promotion & wellness
· Legal and ethical issues
· Various healthcare systems
· Psychiatric disorders
· Medical-surgical acute
· care settings
· Drug therapy, intravenous therapy
· Monitoring clients’ conditions
· Leadership in nursing
· Ambulatory care, community-
based care, acute care and long
term care clinical practice
Entry Requirements
· Current LPN Certification
· 2.5+ in all LPN Classes
· Immunizations
· ENG 101 & MAT 107 (COMPASS
test: 68 Writing, 81 Reading, 71
Algebra)
Jobs & Wages*
Registered Nurse
$24.25 - $47.66 / hour
Take RN-
NCLEX
Exam for
Certification
Entry Requirements
· COMPASS test: 68
Writing, 77 Reading,
71 Algebra
· ENG 101 requires
COMPASS Reading
score of 81
2-3 Quarters
NA-C Orientation + CASAS test,
CPR/AED for Professional Rescuer
and WATCH background check
Nursing Pre-requisites
Academic Coursework
2-4 Quarters
Courses
· Anatomy/Physiology I & II
(BIOL&241 and BIOL&242)
· Microbiology (BIOL&260)
· Composition (ENGL&101)
· Elementary Statistics (MATH&146)
· Lifespan Psychology (PSYC&200)
· Intro to Chemistry (CHEM&121)
All academic coursework must be
completed with a grade of 2.5 or better
before submitting nursing application.
MMR – (Measles, Mumps, Rubella), Tdap
(Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis), Hepatitis
B (3 shot series), Varicella (Chicken pox),
TB test (2 step, or proof of negative test or
chest x-ray if positive)
Immunizations needed to work in
healthcare:
Learn how to teach communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and self-
motivated learning—four “soft skills” strongly linked to student success.
This course will provide college educators and administrators with a strong
foundation in the theory, research, and practical applications of these crucial
21st-century skills. You’ll also examine skills frameworks, critiques of these
frameworks, instructional design principles, and the science behind each of
the four skills.
WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?
This course is designed for postsecondary educators and administrators. It was
created by Matthew T. Hora, assistant professor of adult and higher education
at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Dr. Hora studies postsecondary
teaching, institutional reforms, and college-workforce pathways.
HOW IS IT STRUCTURED?
You’ll work on the modules one week at a time, at your own pace. Each module
includes filmed lectures by Dr. Hora and other experts in postsecondary teaching.
You’ll complete readings from the instructor and the research literature and
consider real-world case studies that challenge you to apply insights from the
course material to your own work. Discussions about the readings and case
studies provide opportunities to interact with Dr. Hora and your classmates.
For your final project, you’ll revise a syllabus or lesson plan to prominently
feature one or more of the four soft skills you’ve studied in this course.
WHAT WILL I LEARN?
At the conclusion of the course,
you will be able to demonstrate:
• An in-depth understanding of
21st-century skills frameworks
• A deeper understanding of the
research behind teamwork,
communication, critical thinking,
and self-regulated learning
• An understanding of how
these four soft skills should be
conceptualized and taught in
your own discipline
• How to incorporate best
practices for teaching these
skills in your curriculum
QUESTIONS?
Contact Prof. Hora at
matthew.hora@wisc.edu
or 608-265-5629.
17271-10/18
Teaching Soft Skills
in College Courses Certiﬁcate
Online | Seven Modules | Mar 25 - May 6, 2019 | 2.4 CEUs
$345 through February 4; $495 after. Group (3+) $245 each through February 4; $395 after.
SPRING 2019
go.wisc.edu/soft-skills
1
2
3
Are these initiatives being informed by an
accurate interpretation of valuable “skills”?
Is the creation of new pathways/programs sufﬁcient?
Are students long-term best interests being kept in mind?

III. A Cultural and Critical Perspective
Description SkepticismTranslation
Coburn, C. E., & Turner, E. O. (2011). The practice of data use: An introduction. American Journal of Education, 118(2), 99-111.
Document practice within socio-
technical systems
Develop insights into causal mechanisms
Identify conditions supporting/thwarting change

Skills as cultural models/habits of mind
for the professions
Culture as systems of meaning generated
over time by social groups in speciﬁc ﬁelds,
instantiated in artifact, ritual, and routine.
Source:https://www.pomona.edu/academics/departments/biology
Source:http://www.amstmadison.com/photo-archive/
Communities of Practice Occupational Communities

74% of employers screen for “fit”
with their organizational culture
See: Rivera, L. A. (2012). Hiring as cultural matching: The case of elite professional service firms. American
Sociological Review, 77(6), 999-1022.
“People who are absolutely perfect on paper won’t
get a job if they don’t fit the company culture.”
Company history/size Employee attributes Managerial style
Another way culture influences “employability”

Dr. Peter Capelli, University of Pennsylvania Wharton School
of Business (2014)
“It is difﬁcult to think of a labor market issue where ..
research using standard academic techniques has played
such a small role,
where parties with a material interest in the outcomes
have so dominated the discussion, where the quality of
evidence and discussion has been so poor, and where
the stakes are potentially so large.
The necessity of a critical perspective

IV. Findings from Research on Employability Skills
Inspired by dominance of the “skills list” approach
RQ: How do different actors - students, educators, and employers -
conceptualize and teach/train skills considered essential in their professions?

NSF-ECR (DGE#1348648)
2012 - 2015 ($526,022) & 2016 ($104,233)
Two Research Projects on Employability Skills
70 Educators
75 Employers
Manufacturing (n=64)
Biotechnology (n=11)
NSF-ECR (DGE#1561686)
2016-2020 ($1,739,670)
Mixed -Method: Online survey, student
focus groups, faculty and workplace
trainer interviews, classroom observations
Focus on 4 skills: Communication,
teamwork, self-regulated learning,
problem-solving

All educators
(n=49)
Manufacturing
Employers (n=59)
Biotech
Employers (n=7)
Term Salience Term Salience Term Salience
Technical ability 0.381 Work ethic 0.338 Experience on job 0.345
Work ethic 0.257 Technical ability 0.342 Lifelong learning 0.301
Technical
knowledge 0.238
Technical
knowledge 0.302 Technical ability 0.227
Problem solving 0.232 Lifelong learning 0.144 Communication 0.226
Teamwork 0.204 Problem solving 0.132 Problem solving 0.182
Communication 0.183 Adaptable 0.132 Work ethic 0.163
Critical thinking 0.156 Interpersonal 0.112 Detail oriented 0.153
Innovative 0.154 Attitude 0.112 Self motivated 0.150
Detail-oriented 0.145 Teamwork 0.112 Background 0.149
Lifelong learning 0.103 Communication 0.111
Technical
knowledge 0.141
Evidence from the ﬁeld: Educators and Employers in WI
Source: Benbow, R., & Hora, M.T. (in press). A new look at 21st century skills: The cultural implications of skills
development and reproduction. Harvard Educational Review.

Nature of essential competencies: Multi-faceted, linked to
knowledge/professional domain
NRC Framework
Dimensions of expertise speciﬁc to and intertwined with
knowledge of particular domain
Cognitive: cognitive processes,
knowledge, creativity
Inter-personal: Teamwork and
collaboration, leadership
Intra-personal: Positive core self-
evaluation, work ethic and
conscientiousness, intellectual openness

You see a lot of highly technical engineers but if they cannot
work with other people, you’re of no use.
We spend a lot of time here so having people that are just
horses asses for a lack of a better word - we just don't want
them here…
(a) because it's a pain to be around them, and (b) it takes
away the meaningful discussions and the problem solving,
which is basically what we do here.
Manufacturing supervisor, La Crosse, WI

Themes Frequency
All (n=96)
HC Emp
(n=4)
Energy Emp
(n=6)
HC Edu
(n=12)
Energy Edu
(n=6)
HC Stud
(n=31)
Energy Stud
(n=33)
Understanding 41 2 2 7 6 10 14
Teamwork 33 2 3 6 6 10 6
Seeing big picture 29 2 1 5 1 4 1
Translating jargon 25 1 2 7 6 4 5
Safety 22 1 2 6 3 5 5
Learning/teaching 16 2 3 4 1 3 3
Listening 16 2 2 5 3 4 0
Standardized terms 15 2 1 3 3 3 2
Asking questions 15 0 1 4 0 6 4
Emotional connection 14 2 1 8 0 3 0
Audience 14 1 3 4 3 12 6
Electronic/written 12 0 2 4 4 2 0
Conceptions of “communication” skills
in health care and energy
Source: Hora, M.T., Smolarek, B., Martin, K.N. & Scrivener, L. (under review). Exploring the situated and cultural aspects of
communication in the professions: Implications for teaching, student employability and equity in higher education.

How views of communication are embedded within
speciﬁc situations and contexts: Novices
Graph density: 0.119
Emphasis on
establishing inter-
subjectivity (via Q&A/
listening) among team
members from different
role groups to ensure
safety

How views of communication are embedded within
speciﬁc situations and contexts: Experts/educators
Graph density: 0.326
Emphasis on: (1)
establishing inter-
subjectivity (via Q&A/
listening, jargon
translation, standardized
terminology) among team
members from different
role groups to ensure
safety,(2) conveying
awareness of big picture,
(3) in doing so,
advocating for patient/
empathy

How situated views of a single competency vary
between novice/experts within a profession

Pellico, L. H., Friedlaender, L., & Fennie, K. P. (2009). Looking is not seeing: Using art to
improve observational skills. Journal of Nursing Education, 48(11), 648-653.
Image Source: http://art.williams.edu/the-major/honors/
Different ways to teach communication
(and other “non-cognitive”) skills
Problem-based learning
Workplace scenarios
Student-led collection/analysis
of data and solution ID
Q: How can general education or arts/humanities courses also
cultivate skills desired in the workplace?

Implications for Workforce Education:
Skills Education
1
2
3
Don’t teach/train or assess generic, de-
contextualized skills
Educators/trainers will likely need PD to
integrate skills into their curriculum and
instruction - enlist the help of specialists!
But ﬁrst, need to determine - as a
disciplinary community - what speciﬁc
skills are valued

V. Findings from Research on College Internships
Internships are widely considered to be a “win-win-win”
for students, educators, and employers
Literature review: Relatively few empirical studies, multi-disciplinary
and multi-national, insights into influential program features, but
terminological confusion and flawed instrumentation
Hora, M.T., Wolfgram, M., & Thompson, S. (2017). What do we know about the impact of internships on student outcomes? Results from a preliminary review of the
scholarly and practitioner literatures. Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions Research Brief #2. University of Wisconsin-Madison
49% of college seniors took an internship, practicum, coop, or field
experience - a “high-impact” practice (NSSE, 2017)

Internship program design features
linked to positive student outcomes
Supervisor support and mentoring quality
Task quality and autonomy
Socialization into a profession
Feedback and reﬂection
1
2
3
4
But challenges of instructional design & program quality not dissimilar from classroom instruction

Source: https://www.scmp.com/
news/china/society/article/
2103529/university-china-apologises-
after-students-forced-do-internships
Internships also as potential venue for exploitation and
vehicle for reproduction of inequality
Prevalence of unpaid internships
makes experience untenable for
many low-income students
Source:
Vocational students
required to work shifts
doing work unrelated to
majors, often to replace
FT employees

College Internship Study
2018: 1 technical college, 2 comprehensive PWIs, 2
comprehensive HBCUs
2019: 4 technical colleges, 1 comprehensive PWI, 4
comprehensive HBCUs, 1 tribal college
Hora, M. T., & Blackburn Cohen, C. A. (2018). Cultural Capital at Work: How
Cognitive and Noncognitive Skills Are Taught, Trained, and Rewarded in a Chinese
Technical College. Community College Review, 46(4), 388-416.
Participation/Access - Program Structure - Student Outcomes

An online survey was administered to 1,250 students in the second half of their
programs (with the exception of students in nursing and Liberal Arts transfer
programs), and 395 responded (Response Rate = 31.6%).
Madison College (Spring 2018)
Figure 1. In the past 12 months, have you participated in an internship?
N = 395. Number of observations by category: Yes = 106; No = 289.
Question: For educators, is the goal 100% participation? Why or why not?

Who is participating (and not) in internships?
Figure 7. Internship in the Past 12 Months (Yes/No) by Employment Status (Part- or Full-time)
N = 318, Number of observations by category: employment part-time / Yes Internship = 81; employment part-time / No Internship =
200; employment full-time / Yes Internship = 7; employment full-time / No Internship = 30.
Figure 2. Internship in the Past 12 Months (Yes/No), by Gender
N = 382. Number of observations by category: Female / Yes Internship = 64; Female / No Internship = 147; Male / Yes Internship =
36; Male / No Internship = 135.

Barriers to Participation
Figure 18. You indicated that you did not participate in an internship in the past 12 months. In
the past 12 months, were you interested in participating in an internship? (N = 289)
57.00%
45.40%
30.90%
30.00%
11.30%
5.30%
43.00%
54.60%
69.10%
70.00%
88.70%
94.70%
Needed to work at current job
Couse load at school was too heavy
Lack of internship opportunities in my field
Insuffiient pay offered
Lack of transportation
Lack of childcare
Yes No
Figure 19. In the past 12 months, why were you not able to pursue an internship? (N = 151)

Program Characteristics: Relationship to Academics
Figure 25. How related do you feel your internship was to your academic program? (N = 106)
Figure 26. How well did your job site supervisor and your academic program or faculty coordinate with one another to
ensure the internship tasks were related to the curriculum? (N = 102)

Program Characteristics: Supervisor Support
Figure 28. In this internship, how much did your supervisor appreciate the amount of effort you made? (N = 103)
Figure 27. In this internship, how much did your supervisor care about your satisfaction at work? (N = 103)

Implications for Workforce Education: Internships
1
2
3
Internships are not yet a “win” for all students
at this technical college
Educators should pay close attention to
quality of job-site mentoring & link between
internship and academic programs
Barriers - scheduling conﬂicts and lack of
opportunities/pay - are keeping many
students from taking internships

There is too little
Discussion about demand (job quality)
Attention to discipline-speciﬁc “hard” and “soft” skills
Focus on teaching and learning
Understanding of the “black box” of internships
So are we on the right track with workforce education?
Sort of…..
The focus on robots, skills shortages and student
employability is important, but

Fortunately we have many practices
and approaches to emulate…

Next Steps
Thank You! For more information: matthew.hora@wisc.edu @matt_hora
www.matthewhora.com
Program development: Critical and cultural perspectives on employability (EPS 600)
& online course for faculty on teaching “soft” skills
Analyzing lots of
data!
Expansion of study in 2019-2020
2nd Nat’l Symposium on Internship Research

A Cultural and Critical Perspective of  College Students’ Employability Skills:  Hora Talk at Univ of Michigan Dec 2018

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