The document discusses ways to better align college education and career outcomes. It proposes several ideas: 1) Requiring summer "career fairs" where all college students participate in simulated work environments to explore potential careers. Students would provide feedback on companies. 2) Basing student loan rates on the market need and employment prospects of different majors, with higher risk majors having higher rates or less funding. 3) Ensuring college advisors have work experience in the fields related to the majors they advise, not just academic experience, to provide better career guidance.

1. Problem Statement
Stakeholder InsightNEED
Needs a way to Because
Bo Stephens:
- Personally confident
- Intuitive
- Hard working
- Realistic
- Great business savvy
• Understand my
career choice
• Make good
choice with
college
resources
• Connect with
the right
resources
• Pay my student
loans
• Take the right
courses
• A good job fit
pays the bills
• A good job fit is
a good
endorsement for
my college
• Alignment with
my aspirations
will create a
good job
alignment
• Alignment with
my skills will
create a good
hire

2. Students
see/experience
the career choice
Employer
alignment
Student loan
condundrum
College has Skin in
the Game…
Pre College Major
selection
College guarantees
internships for its
majors.
College assigns real career
counselors who work in
the major
Advisors must have
worked in career.
Alumni mentors for
students
Must Provide college
mentors
Required organized
internships with
ratings for college
students to view.
Advertise career
needs
Competitive pay
packages to eliminate
loans for high value
major
Formal alignments
with colleges for
training & careers
Loan guarantee for x
years of service
Alignment with
colleges for missed
training
Charge back colleges
for poorly prepared
students
Required internships
in key departments
Ratings published by
students for poorly
run internships
High school screening
Career testing with
college application
Flag students who
should wait before
entering college
Job corps as
alternative to college
start out of high
school
Undecideds need ROI
analysis of choice
Screenings would
determine undergrad
courses for
undecideds
Develop more non
college options
Student essay on
Major choice as part
of college application
Summer “career fair”
required for all
college students
High school finance
class for student
loans
Sign up for “shadow”
a professional
Counselor much be
employed in major
Formalize mentors in
profession
Sign off on a Major’s
expected ROI
Must have 3
signatures for career
mentors to continue
Professors must teach
application of course
in work experience
Summer/school work must
have major application
Annual career testing
required
Virtual career training
via web experience
School enlists mentors
for each major
provide internships in
proportion to need of
major
Better coordinated
job fairs
Study tract specific to
undecideds.
Notify student of
“low value” major
Required school fairs
for each major.
Scholarships in
proportion to need for
major
Put caps on number
of grads for low value
majors
Desirable Majors
require Student Loan
Payment by employer
Student loan rate based on
“need of Major”
College guarantees
loan if GPA is met in
desirable major
No loans for low
value majors
Signature on ROI
documents for a
student’s loan
Develop “needs
based” hierarchy for
various majors
Insurance paid by
college on loan
defaults
No 100% paid college
loans. Skin in game
Fail classes mean loan
failure
Grace period for loan
repayment

3. My Favorite:
Summer “career fair”
required for all college
students
If we could produce a cooperative
environment between employers and
colleges to create a “job fair”
environment for students. I envision
a robust collaboration that creates a
work environment for students to
participate in. Free to companies but
they are ranked publicly on quality of
event by the students. Students
work their potential jobs while sitting
in a cube, research center or
community center to get a real feel
for “real life”.
Most Disruptive:
Student loan rate based on
“need of Major”
Student loans are tied to the market
need. Higher risk/low employing majors
will pay less or have a larger interest rate.
Higher demand jobs will get more loans
with lower interest rates.
A loan in most cases require an appraisal
of the capital it is buying. A student loan
should have an appraisal based on the
expected long term value of a major or
career choice. The % of the loan and the
amount awarded would be weighted by
the Major choice and the student effort.
Most Practical:
Advisors must have
worked in career.
This seems to be a no-brainer, but a
college advisor who is instructing a
student and is employed by the
university should have experience in
the major that a student studying. This
cannot be “academia” experience, but
must have real experience in that field.