S O C I A L I N T E L L I G E N C E B R I E F
The importance of transferable skills and work experience in college decision making
Higher ed can meet workforce needs
The importance of a college degree's return on investment is a hot topic. Leaders must ensure they're fulfilling students' educational goals and preparing them for the workforce. This involves understanding how people value learning transferable skills and gaining work experience when choosing a college.
In partnership with Jeff Selingo
We teamed up with Jeff Selingo to support his book, Dream School: Finding The College That's Right For You. Our research analyzed online forum conversations about the college decision-making process.
The research brief
- Shares insights on what students find valuable and what they recognize as necessary.
- Highlights campuses that offer valuable skills for workforce development and build partnerships with employers to define career paths.
- Offers actionable strategies to show how education drives economic growth, supports career services and career readiness, and emphasizes hands-on learning.
Liz Gross
CEO, Campus Sonar
“As the call for work-integrated learning experiences gets louder in our industry, this research confirms that students desire it as much as employers and policymakers. In fact, students focus a significant amount of their attention on employability and work experience during the college search. Colleges and universities have an opportunity to showcase their graduates’ degree outcomes highlighting transferable skills and hands-on learning experiences during the recruitment process, and help students understand not only how to get internships, but also explore additional work-based learning opportunities.”