Featured in The NAPS Credential, a new report is demanding radical changes in the delivery of career services to students by colleges and universities. Many programs continue to use outdated methods, lowering students’ chances of gainful employment after graduation.
In “A Roadmap for Transforming the College-to-Career Experience” (read full text here), Andy Chan and Thomas Derry of Wake Forest University offer proven approaches to aid colleges in reconstructing their missions and improving the services they offer students. The report addresses higher education influencers, noting that post-graduate employment is the primary standard by which former students measure the value of their college educations. Across the country, schools are cutting funding for career help services, yet students aren’t receiving the proper training necessary to accommodate to the rapidly changing and advancing working world. The article asserts that institutions must prioritize career counseling to give students the best chance of obtaining employment, and all parts of the institution must pledge involvement, including faculty members, administration, alumni associations, prominent campus groups, et cetera. Chan refers to this approach as the creation of a “college-to-career” community.
The report is based off of information solicited from 20 individuals from higher education and business communities, all of which attended the Rethinking Success conference in the spring of 2012. The conference sought to answer the question of whether attendees believed that colleges were living up to the role of preparing students for post-graduate employment. The article analyzes models that institutions might follow and highlights a number of colleges and universities who have already reformed their career services programs. With knowledge of new effective strategies that colleges are using to enhance students’ personal and career development, more and more institutions can provide their students with reliable and innovative counseling for the easiest possible transition to the work force.
