Employers Beseech Us to “Teach Them What We Need Them to Know”

Concurrent Session 7

Brief Abstract

Employers know the skills they need recent college graduates to possess, and they’re not necessarily seeing those skills demonstrated by the job candidates they interview. To ensure that our graduates are prepared for the workforce, first we need to understand how employers define workforce readiness.

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Presenters

Lead Presenter: Joy Henrich, Rasmussen College

Dr. Joy Henrich has served as a higher education professional since 2003. She resides in central Wisconsin and is currently the Dean of Graduate Education for Rasmussen College, a role in which she provides academic oversight of the institution's graduate programs. Dr. Henrich earned her Doctor of Education degree in Higher Education and Organizational Change through Benedictine University. Her dissertation research focused on the employers' view of competency-based education. She also holds both a Bachelor of Science (BSM) and a Master of Science (MSM) degree in Management from Cardinal Stritch University.

Extended Abstract

Employers know the skills they need recent college graduates to possess, and they’re not necessarily seeing those skills demonstrated by the job candidates they interview. To ensure that our graduates are prepared for the workforce, first we need to understand how employers define workforce readiness. We must then develop learning outcomes that reflect the knowledge and skills employers are seeking, and we must build course assignments and activities around those objectives. But wait…there’s more. Then we must accurately assess whether our students have learned what we were trying to teach them. This session will explore how we can actively help our students develop the skills they will need in the workplace and ensure that they can demonstrate those skills in the hiring and selection process.