Originally posted on July 21, 2015, on LindaSuskie.com
Over the last few years there have been a number of studies of the knowledge, skills, and competencies that employers seek in new hires. The results have varied because many of the studies have asked employers to choose from a predetermined list, and those lists can vary considerably. But last year, when I was working on my book Five Dimensions of Quality: A Common Sense Guide to Accreditation and Accountability, I reviewed those studies and found persistent mention of a number of competencies.
Now some new surveys—one sponsored by AAC&U and others mentioned in a piece by Margaret Andrews in University World News—have reinforced what I found. The following competencies seem most valued by employers, in roughly the following order:
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Communication
• Real-world problem solving
• Evaluating information and conclusions
• Flexibility and adaptability to change
• Creativity and innovation
• Working with people from diverse cultural backgrounds
• Ethical judgment
• Understanding numbers and statistics
How well are your curricula designed—and your faculty prepared and equipped—to help students develop these skills?