By ALINA TUGEND, The New York Times
My older son graduated from high school last week and has started a
pleasant job as a summer lifeguard. In four years we expect to attend
his college graduation, and we hope the time there leaves him with great
experiences, a love of learning and some idea how to get and keep a
job.
It’s that last part of the equation that I’m going to focus on. My heart
sinks every time I read a news story or opinion piece quoting employers
who charge that four-year colleges and universities are failing to
provide graduates with the skills they need to become and remain
employable. Of course, in many ways, this isn’t a new story.
“A four-year liberal arts education doesn’t prepare kids for work and it
never has,” said Alec R. Levenson a senior research scientist for the
Center for Effective Organizations at the University of Southern
California.
Mara Swan, the executive vice president of global strategy and talent at Manpower Group, agreed.
“There’s always been a gap between what colleges produce and what
employers want,” she said. “But now it’s widening.” That’s because
workplaces are more complex and globalized, profit margins are slimmer,
companies are leaner and managers expect their workers to get up to
speed much faster than in the past.
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