Industry News
Post College Training Becoming More Important
A recent survey reports that employers are generally satisfied with the entry-level skills of college
graduates, but want better assessment tools to evaluate their level of knowledge and need for post-college
training.
Employers are not happy with the multiple-choice approaches to assessing knowledge levels of college
graduates. Instead, they prefer faculty-evaluated internships, individual essays, and comprehensive senior
projects.
Among 12 areas of assessment surveyed, employers gave the highest scores to teamwork, ethical judgment,
and intercultural skills. They ranked global knowledge, self-direction, and writing among the lowest.
"It is no secret that many people in the workforce lack adequate writing skills," said Amy Murphy, director
of Corporate and Community Services for Joliet Junior College. "Employers are looking for better ways to
teach business writing to their workers."
Post-college workforce education is considered a major reason for productivity increases in both the
manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors of the economy.
A recent study by the National Center on the Educational Quality of the Workforce found that productivity
increased with workforce training for each of the following factors:
Manufacturing Sector:
- 10% increase in the average education of all workers* is associated with a productivity increase
of 8.6%
In the Non-Manufacturing Sector:
- 10% increase in the average education of all workers* is associated with a productivity increase of 11%
(National Center on the Educational
Quality of the Workforce, p2)
*Equivalent to slightly more than one additional year of schooling.
In a study on the economic benefits of the workplace, 98% of employers reported that with Workplace
Education Programs, employees gained at least one skill and there was at least one organizational benefit.
(Bloom, p6)
Since the late 90s, employers have seen the value of training and continue looking for better assessment
tools. Joliet Junior College works closely with the business community to maximize college resources on
behalf of employers and students.
"Our training programs in business writing, Frontline Supervision, computers, and communication have given
employees a broader range of skills," said Murphy. "Additionally, we offer numerous short-term training
programs designed to prepare people for new careers as soon as possible."
To learn more about how to prepare your workforce for the future, or to do a better job assessing new
hires, call Amy Murphy at 815-280-1418, or email to her at amurphy@jjc.edu.
Sources:
http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/facts/workforce.html
Source: How
Should Colleges Assess and Improve Student Learning?
Related Links
Internships for Adults
Technical and Career Schools
http://adulted.about.com/b/2008/02/06/what-do-employers-want-2.htm