Speakers Moderator Ronald A. Crutcher President University of Richmond rcrutche@richmond.edu Lynn Pasquerella President, AAC&U commish@aacu.org Lenore P. Rodicio Executive Vice President and Provost Miami Dade College lenore.rodicio@mdc.edu C. Edward Watson Chief Information Officer and Associate Vice President for Quality, Advocacy, and LEAP Initiatives AAC&U watson@aacu.org

Use Q&A for: Panel discussion Use Chat for: Technology support #AACUemployers Slides and recording will be posted online: www.aacu.org/webinar/employer-research

Fulfilling the American Dream: Liberal Education and the Future of Work Key findings from surveys of business executives and hiring managers conducted May-June 2018 Conducted on behalf of 12360 Note: vertical expressions for subgroups except where noted with support from Report freely available at http://www.aacu.org

Selected Highlights from the Report Employers on the Value of College Their Sense of Recent Graduates’ Preparedness Employers’ Priorities for College Learning Their Views on Transcripts and ePortfolios Employers and Professional Development

Survey Methodology 501 business executives 500 hiring managers Executives at private sector and nonprofit organizations, including owners, CEOs, presidents, C-suite level executives, vice presidents, and directors 500 hiring managers Non-executives (directors, managers, supervisors, office administrators) whose current job responsibilities include recruiting, interviewing, and/or hiring new employees Companies that have at least 25 employees and Report that 25% or more of their new hires hold either an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree.

Employers on the Value of College

Employer Confidence in Colleges and Universities This is higher than confidence in colleges and universities among adults nationwide: 45% 54% (January 2018, Gallup) 63% 63% 37% 37% Business executives Hiring managers

Confidence in Colleges/Universities, by Region Have a great deal/quite a lot of confidence in colleges/universities Business executives Hiring managers BY REGION Northeast 65% 60% South 67% 63% Midwest 69% 71% West 53% 59% Q.3 Significantly different from all executives or all hiring managers.

Importance of Completing a College Education 82% 75% 25% 18% Business executives Hiring managers

Evaluation of Whether a College Degree Is Worth the Time and Money Involved 88% 85% Business executives Hiring managers

Sense of Recent Graduates’ Preparedness

Satisfaction with Recent Graduates’ Ability to Apply Skills and Knowledge They Learned in College to Complex Problems in the Workplace 74% 71% Business executives Hiring managers

Proportions of Recent College Grad Applicants Who Have Full Set of Skills/Knowledge Succeed in entry-level positions at the company = 57% all/most have = 60% all/most have Advance/be promoted within the company = 34% all/most have = 25% all/most have

Employers’ Priorities for College Learning

Very Important Skills for Recent College Graduates We Are Hiring

Would be MUCH More Likely to Hire Recent Grad with this Experience Much/ somewhat more likely 93% 94% 72% 83% 82% 72% 81% 81% 80% 76% 71% 78% 54% 47%

Employers’ Views on Transcripts and ePortfolios

(in addition to resume and transcript) Usefulness of College Transcripts in Evaluating Recent Graduates’ Potential to Succeed Usefulness of College Work ePortfolio in Evaluating Recent Grads’ Potential to Succeed (in addition to resume and transcript) 81% 78% 51% 48% Business executives Hiring managers Business executives Hiring managers

Employers and Professional Development

Does your company provide professional development; if so, what is its main focus? 79% 79% Business executives Hiring managers

Types of Professional Development Company/ Organization Provides

Company / Higher Education Partnerships Business executives Hiring managers

Ways Company Partners with Colleges / Universities   Business execs Hiring mgrs Offer service learning, internships, apprenticeships to students 30% 32% Leaders/staff serve on boards to advise on curriculum development 20% 17% Employees are adjunct faculty to teach courses our company needs 18% 15% Company sponsors a scholarship at a college or university Collaborate to develop industry-specific degrees or credentials 16% 13% Host college/university course(s) at company’s location 12% 11%

Implications for Community Colleges and Workforce Training Programs Lenore P. Rodicio, Ph.D. Executive Vice President & Provost Miami Dade College

Key Learning Outcomes in Workforce Training Programs Two key strategies: Align general education courses to skills courses Embed key learning outcomes throughout the curriculum It’s not a question of either/or but of both/and.

Applied Learning in Workforce Training Programs Service learning and project-based learning Research experiences Internships Apprenticeships Key to the success of these applied learning experiences is co-development with 4-year transfer partners and industry partners.

Implications for the Pathways Movement If we are to develop meaningful pathways that ensure not only degree attainment but key skill attainment, we need to ensure: Intentional inclusion of learning outcomes and general education courses Clearly articulated applied learning opportunities Progression of learning that highlights students’ ability to take on the challenge of more complex learning

Implications for 4-Year Colleges and Universities Ronald A. Crutcher, D.M.A. President University of Richmond

General Reactions Employers, hiring managers, and business leaders know what they want College degree is still a critical credential for new hires Time and cost of pursuing a college degree pays off

Lifelong Learning Employers perceive a gap in the skills needed for the first job, and those needed to advance We must prepare students to be lifelong learners Degree attainment should not be a box-checking exercise Curriculum design and implementation should center lifelong learning as a desired outcome

Employer-College Feedback Loop Employers need to communicate with colleges and universities about their needs, and not just through employment reports Career services staff should be proactive in seeking employer feedback and incorporating it into career preparation and program design

Professional Development Requires investment from both colleges and universities AND employers Students want to work for companies ready to invest in them 84% indicated that the “opportunity to develop job-specific skills” was the most important attribute they sought from potential employers (NACE, 2017) Colleges and universities need to invest in professional development programs and opportunities for their students

High-Impact Practices and Experiential Learning Internships are a vital component in the hiring decisions of employers – a differentiator among similarly qualified applicants Career services units have to be prepared both to help students effectively search for and apply to internship AND to accept them Accepting low-paid or unpaid internships is not possible for many low-income students Commit to access for all students to internships- The Richmond Guarantee Active cultivation of alumni network is crucial

Use Q&A for: Panel discussion Use Chat for: Technology support Slides and recording will be posted online: www.aacu.org/webinar/employer-research

Moderated Discussion #AACUemployers Moderator Ronald A. Crutcher President University of Richmond rcrutche@richmond.edu Lynn Pasquerella President, AAC&U commish@aacu.org Lenore P. Rodicio Executive Vice President and Provost Miami Dade College lenore.rodicio@mdc.edu C. Edward Watson Chief Information Officer and Associate Vice President for Quality, Advocacy, and LEAP Initiatives AAC&U watson@aacu.org