(Looking Back and Looking Forward takes look at the articles and posts I found interesting from the previous week, along with reflections about how the trends they point to might shape my thinking about education and technology.)
I’m relatively certain that we are beginning to see evidence of an inevitable evolution of higher education in the U.S. This is an evolution that will bring traditional undergraduate education more in line with the actual needs of both students and employers.
As an example, consider the latest reports on the decline in students pursuing two-year associate degrees at public colleges compared to the increase in students enrolling in non-degree certificate programs. And keep in mind that Maryland isn’t the only entity realizing that the four-year degree is not necessarily an accurate indicator of job readiness for many positions.
Employers hold three things at a high premium: (1) having the necessary skills to perform the tasks required by a job role and to get up to speed quickly; (2) having the foundational/durable skills (essential, thinking, and professional) to perform well within teams and with customers, and; (3) having a history of reliable work performance.
And, while there are industries and jobs that require profession-specific four-year degrees and expertise in certain domains (Accounting, Finance, Engineering), a significant percentage of jobs, and well-paying jobs, do not. This means that candidates for those positions need:
- Domain-specific skills training with demonstrable evidence of mastery so that employers can verify that the candidate is ready to be productive from Day 1;
- Foundational/durable skills training with demonstrable evidence of mastery to ensure that employees can perform well within an organization and grow into the future.
There is a sizeable demand for both of these requirements from both employers and job seekers. In addition, there is a good supply pipeline (and growing) for domain-specific skills. What we still lack is the integration of foundational/durable skills into the curriculum (traditional higher education or vocational training).
Further Reading
Higher Education
Morehouse Career Services Director: Professionalism and DEI
Professionalism Is a Bias-Making Machine. Here’s How to Dismantle It.
Louisiana’s public colleges end remedial coursework
Pick and Choose: Higher Ed’s Answer to the Subscription Service Model
This new organization wants to accredit career education
The Decline of the Public 2-Year Degree
Taking “navigation and guidance” to church – Christensen Institute
What Is Higher Education’s Value Proposition?
Bringing College into High Schools
The Ed Department brokered a deal on 90/10 rule changes. Here’s what’s inside
K-12 Education
The School Hall Pass Is Going Digital. Is That a Good Thing?
Experiential Learning: Connecting Outside the Classroom
Qualified to Succeed: Building a 14 -19 education system of choice, diversity and opportunity
Want Students Who Think for Themselves? Let’s Eliminate Our Standardized School System
Bringing College into High Schools
Charter School Funding: Dispelling Myths about EMOs, Expenditure Patterns, & Nonpublic Dollars
Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?
Education, Learning Design, and Technology
OER Guest Post: 10 Years of OERx
Stephen’s Web ~ 3 proven ways to get customers to share your product
Workforce
Maryland Announces Elimination of Four-Year Degree Degree Requirement for Thousands of State Jobs
This new organization wants to accredit career education
Skills Are Not Enough: Developing Workers’ Dispositions to Succeed in an Uncertain, Disruptive World
Technology and Technology Trends
The plain-text internet is coming
Open Badges: Presentation by Doug Belshaw
Mozilla’s vision for the evolution of the Web
The Metaverse Isn’t a Destination. It’s a Metaphor