This document discusses connecting student learning outcomes in higher education to skills sought by employers. It provides background on skills gaps between classroom and workplace learning and stats on working students. The document advocates defining employability learning outcomes for courses to help students recognize and articulate transferable skills developed. Examples are provided, and benefits outlined, such as assuring quality and efficiency while making education more relevant for working learners and transparent to employers. Questions are posed to facilitate discussion on how faculty can support career pursuits and find classroom-work connections through assignments, activities and service learning.

1. Connecting Student Learning
Outcomes to Skills that
Employers are Seeking
Melissa Cline-Douthitt
Courtney Abboud

2. How do you connect
curriculum to workplace
competencies?

3. Foundations of Excellence
Foundations institutions
promote student
understanding of the various
roles and purposes of higher
education, both for the
individual and society.
These roles and purposes include
knowledge acquisition for personal
growth, learning to prepare for
future employment, learning to
become engaged citizens, and
learning to serve the public good.

4. Jefferson’s Mission
Jefferson Community and Technical College fulfills its Mission by promoting
excellence in programs and services in support of educational opportunity,
lifelong learning, and student achievement as expressed in the following goals:
• Support the attainment of regional and statewide educational goals through
data informed and inquiry driven strategies to increase retention rates and
completion of credentials (Associate Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates).
• Maximize student achievement through an institutional commitment to
effective teaching and support services.
• Enhance workforce readiness and economic development of the community
by providing seamless educational opportunities through agreements with
adult education, secondary school systems, postsecondary institutions,
community groups, and business and industry partners.
• Provide an inclusive, accessible, and safe learning and working environment.
• Exercise responsible stewardship of the College’s human, fiscal, and physical
resources.

5. What is employability?
A set of achievements –
skills, understandings and
personal attributes – that
make graduates more likely
to gain employment and be
successful in their chosen
occupations, which benefits
themselves, the workforce,
the community and the
economy.
Academic
Personal/Life
Experience
Work
Experience

6. Information about the knowledge gap
about between classroom learning and
workplace
• “We don’t have a jobs crisis in the world, we have a skills crisis”
according to a 2012 Forbes article.
• 45% of US employers say lack of skills is the “main reason” for entry-level
vacancies.
• Only 42% of worldwide employers believe new graduates are adequately
prepared for work.
• Further, according to NACE, it takes the average graduates at least 6
months to obtain employment after graduation. College graduates
struggle to articulate the transferable skills desired by employers.

7. Stats about working students
• People often assume that students work approximately 10-15 hours a
week.
• A 2013 U.S. Census report determined that 71 percent of US college
undergraduates were working in 2011. Of that number, one in five
undergraduates were working at least 35 hours a week year-round.
• Community colleges often work more hours than four-year students, and
adult learners usually work additional hours to meet their family’s financial
needs.

8. JCTC Adult Student Learners
In Fall 2012, over 8300 ALs at JCTC...58% of total student body!
• Downtown – 66%
• Southwest – 42%
• Technical – 68%
KCTCS Systems Office Report

9. How can faculty support students in their career
pursuits?
How can faculty find a connection between
the classroom and the student’s current work?
Employability
Skills

10. What are the
essential skills
graduates must
demonstrate to
future
employers?

12. What are employability learning
outcomes?
A statement of what a
learner is expected to know,
understand and/or be able
to demonstrate at the end of
the course that enhances
employability.
Employability learning outcomes
assist students in recognizing
and articulating how
transferrable skills are
developed within the
curriculum.

13. Example Employability Learning Outcome
Statements
• The student will demonstrate effective verbal communication skills
through in-class participation and through completion of capstone
presentation.
• The student will exhibit the ability to work in a team structure by
collaborating on group projects and submitting a written evaluation of
his/her teamwork performance.
• The student will demonstrate computer competencies through 1)
utilizing presentation software when completing semester
presentation and 2) utilizing Blackboard 1-2 times a week.

14. What are the benefits of including
employability learning outcomes in your
course?
• Can act as a benchmark for assuring quality and efficiency in higher
education.
• Provides a framework for understanding the application of
coursework in an unambiguous way to open up education to a wider
audience.
• Connection to work allows employed students to discover and
construct knowledge for themselves
• Recognizes student achievement outside of the classroom
• Community employers understand not only what students
KNOW…but also what they can DO.

15. Additional Method to Demonstrate Link
Between Curriculum and Employability
• Assignments
• Class Activities
• Service Learning
• Referrals to CREW Center

16. Questions?