Aligning Business and Education: 21st Century Skill Preparation (2015)

IntroductionGovernment and business leaders are calling for reform across all academic levels especially in the collegiate arena where the greatest misalignment exists between 21st Century employer needs and university deliverables (Daggett, 2005). As business enterprises, post-secondary academic institutions have social and economic responsibilities to respective local, state, and national business communities to prepare graduates with contemporary skills needed to become productive members of society (Lehmann, 2009). The need to determine if colleges and universities are teaching and refining students with the 21st Century skills employers are demanding is imperative (Harvard, 2011; Palmer, Scribner & Zajonc, 2010).Bushaw and Lopez (2012) found that less than 10% of high school dropouts and less than 20% of high school graduates possess 21st Century skills needed to succeed in the modern workforce. Additionally, less than 33% of high school graduates have skills necessary to enter post-secondary academic programs (Bushaw & Lopez, 2012). Americans view college graduation as the principle benchmark for workforce readiness but only 54% agreed college graduates understand and retain 21st Century skills sought after by contemporary employers (Bushaw & Lopez, 2012).In the United States, the post-secondary educational system is in an alarming, yet silent and misaligned state of panic (Friedman, 2005). Panic in secondary educational institutions has resulted in uncaring and frustrated students, decentralized curriculum and teaching pedagogies, frustrated employers seeking graduates with 21st Century skills, and a decrease in financial support from taxpayers and philanthropic groups (Friedman, 2005). A primary area of reform involves whether or not students entering the 21st Century workforce comprehend what is required and can implement the 21st Century skills needed to flourish in the contemporary workplace (Trilling & Fadel, 2012).Literature ReviewPreparing for a career in the 21st Century workplace involves more than the completion of a particular post-secondary degree (Correll, 2001). Students' understanding about available career paths and specific skills desired by contemporary employers should be developed during the college years (Magnuson & Starr, 2000). Post-secondary academic institutions are at least partly responsible for future success rates of graduates, as students form perceptions of the 21st Century labor market and career goals during the college years (Magnuson & Starr, 2000). Post-secondary education systems operate under a business model, which has not adapted to contemporary employment realities, concerns, and business needs (Bookman, 2010).Institutions of higher learning have been slow to change and keep up with contemporary needs of the workforce (Palmer, Scribner & Zajonc, 2010). One of the greatest challenges for modern business management is finding and retaining qualified individuals with the 21st Century skills needed to achieve stated business goals (Kezar, 2009). A crucial element for business and educational leaders should be to align workplace needs with higher education preparation systems to promote student success in a career after graduation, rather than simply focusing on traditional academic achievements or grades (Harvard 2011).Attending college and becoming career-ready often requires more from students than simply performing well academically (ACTE, 2014). Problem and design-based teaching methods align with individual propensities 21st Century employers are seeking (Lehmann, 2009). Cohort designed programs focusing on problem-based experiential learning assist students with developing content knowledge in harmony with authentic, real-world problems and questions students might experience in the professional arena (Lehmann, 2009). Employability should be sustainable (Watts, 2006).Sustainable employability refers not only to the development of skills, which would enhance opportunities when job hunting but also concerns acquiring skills to sustain employment for the long-term, or to transition into new opportunities as needed (Watts, 2006). …