The document discusses the gap between students' expectations of college, educators' goals, and employers' needs, revealing that many students seek degrees primarily for job opportunities, yet face high unemployment and job misalignment. It indicates a misalignment in responsibility for teaching job skills, with students believing others should take the lead, while employers prioritize hiring job-ready graduates. The document proposes solutions such as modernizing curricula, enhancing career services, and recognizing the need for both students and educators to adapt to changing job market demands.

1. Improving Student Outcomes
Dan Rosensweig
President & CEO

3. Here’s why students said they went to
COLLEGE
70%said they’re in college to
TO GET A GOOD JOB
Source: Cheggheads Panel Research, October 2013

4. And here’s what’s
ACTUALLY HAPPENING
12.8%
Unemployment for
recent grads
40%
Said they did not get a
job in their major
42%
Said their job does not
require a 4-year degree
$29,400
Average student
loan debt

5. And people are
BEGINNING TO NOTICE
“Just Graduated and Fumbling Through a First Job”
“Why millennials have a tough time landing a job”
“What’s an American degree worth?”
“To Reach the New Market for Education, Colleges have Some Learning to Do”
“America’s Youngest Workers Destined for Failure

6. Current college students
Educators at 2 & 4-year universities
Employers of recent graduates
All
weighted,
na.onal
and
projectable.
It’s not working for anyone
SO WE DECIDED TO TALK TO
EVERYONE

7. Why did you go to college?
How prepared are you for the working world?
Whose job is it to teach job skills & readiness?
Here’s what we asked
STUDENTS

8. Why do you think students go to college?
Whose job is it to teach job skills & readiness?
How well prepared were your graduates?
Then we asked educators
PAID TO TEACH THEM

9.
What’s the primary purpose of a degree?
Whose job is it to teach job skills & readiness?
How well prepared were your new hires?
Finally, we talked to the people that
WILL HOPEFULLY HIRE THEM

10. Let the finger
pointing begin

11. Q. What are the main reasons you decided to go to college…?
IMMEDIATE NEEDS
Students are focusing on their
73% 71%
57%
43%
32%
Gain greater
earning
potential
Be ready for
the world of
work
Become a
strong critical
thinker
Get a broad
general
education
STUDENTS
Gain skills employers
value & are willing to
pay for
Source: Improving Student Outcomes, Crux Research, March 2014

12. LONG TERM CAREERS
Educators are focusing on students’
80%
65%
55%
48%
30%
EDUCATORS
Strong critical
thinkers
Grads who’ve
been exposed to
new ideas
Grads with a
broad, general
education
Job-ready grads Grads with
greater earning
potential
Q. The primary purpose of 4-year colleges/universities are to produce …?
Source: Improving Student Outcomes, Crux Research, March 2014

13. BOTH WAYS
And employers want it
Grads with skills
employers are
willing to pay for
Job-ready grads Grads with
greater earning
potential
Q. The primary purpose of 4-year colleges/universities are to produce …?
57% 55% 54%
43%
25%
EMPLOYERS
Grads with a
broad, general
education
Strong critical
thinkers
Source: Improving Student Outcomes, Crux Research, March 2014

14.
A SKILLS GAP & EXPECTATIONS GAP
We have both
Educators said:
To create strong
critical thinkers
Employers said:
To hire job-ready grads
who are strong
critical thinkers
Students said:
To get a good job

15. Whose job is
it to fix it?

16. TEACH THEM THE SKILLS
80% of students think it’s up to someone else to
Employers Students ParentsEducators
STUDENTS
Q. Who is responsible for teaching the job skills that meet employers’ needs?
Source: Improving Student Outcomes, Crux Research, March 2014

17. THEMSELVES AND SOMEONE ELSE
Educators are split between
EDUCATORS
Employers Students ParentsEducators
Q. Who is responsible for teaching the job skills that meet employers’ needs?
Source: Improving Student Outcomes, Crux Research, March 2014

18. SOMEONE ELSE’S JOB
70% of employers think that it’s
EMPLOYERS
Students Employers ParentsEducators
39%
32%
24%
5%
Q. Who is responsible for teaching the job skills that meet employers’ needs?
Source: Improving Student Outcomes, Crux Research, March 2014

19.
COMPLETE MISALIGNMENT
The real gap is a
Educators want to
teach students for
the long term.
Employers want
both on day 1.
Students just want
the skills to get
their first job.

20. FOR ALL ENTRY-LEVEL JOBS
There’s a universal demand for soft & hard skills
Accounting/
Finance
Medical/
Health
IT/Software Sales/Biz Dev
Engineering
Training/
Instruction
• MS Office
• Communication
skills
• Analytical skills
• Communication
skills
• MS Office
• AutoCAD
• Communication
skills
• Java
• SQL
• Communication
skills
• MS Office
• Computer skills
• Communication
skills
• MS Office
• Team player
• Communication
skills
• MS Office
• Team player
Source: 1000 entry-level online job postings from Indeed.com, LinkedIn, Monster.com

21. BASIC TECHNICAL PROFICIENCY
The modern workplace demands
Word processing
Q. How important is it for a recent grad to be proficient to succeed in their first job at your organization
%
IMPORTANT
/CRITICAL
Spreadsheet software
Data analytics and business intelligence
Database (queries and manipulation)
Personal information management (PIM)
Presentation design, etc
Software development environments
Visual design software
Web publishing
Video publishing/editing
89%
86%
82%
81%
77%
76%
65%
60%
59%
56%
Source: Improving Student Outcomes, Crux Research, March 2014

22. Many students are already
TAKING CONTROL
7 in 10
Students say they want
to take at least one
online course
6 in 10
Students say they’d pay for
at least one online course
2.2M
Undergrads at non-profit
schools have taken at least
one online course
Sources:
Chegg National Student Survey, October 2013
IPEDS Data, 2012

23. Students are willing to take ownership now.
BUT TO REALLY CHANGE…
Everyone has
a role in fixing
this problem

24. What we propose
Modernize curriculum to be job relevant.
Incorporate today’s technology tools to make students more
software proficient in the classroom.
Invest in career services to the same degree you invest in
admissions or athletics. Build a full scale program.
Appreciate that the long term value of addressing the gap now
will secure the future success of your brand.
F O R I N S T I T U T I O N S
1
2
3
4

25.
Work with schools to help them evolve the curriculum to best
support students.
Be generous with paid internships. Give students real life experience
before they hit the workplace.
Take a chance on today’s students – make skill training available to
them and certify that those skills were worth learning.
F O R E M P L O Y E R S
1
2
3
What we propose

26.
Modernize your curriculum so what you’re teaching matches the
needs & experiences of the outside world.
Keep close communication with your students to understand
changing needs.
Take the time to understand and stay current with new learning
sources so that you can help students go the extra mile.
F O R E D U C A T O R S
1
2
3
What we propose

27.
Invest in yourself. Recognize that no one else is responsible for
your future but you.
Understand that majors and job skills may no longer match.
You may be less prepared than you think you are.
• 40% said they did not get a job in their major
• 42% said their job does not require a 4-year degree
Find out what will make you stand out in the job market.
Leverage supplemental online and offline tools to round out your
portfolio of skills.
F O R S T U D E N T S
1
2
3
What we propose

28.
Embrace the changing education space. It’s happening (whether you like it or not).
Stop trying to fix what was, and start addressing what is.
This problem is knowable &fixable.
So…