October 1, 2024

What kind of advice and guidance helps students navigate the sometimes challenging pathways between education and employment?

• Personalized guidance to help them select the right education to prepare them for a career.
• Timely information about careers that fit their interests and the job opportunities, potential earnings, and career paths they can pursue.
• Support in setting and reaching education and career goals and overcoming barriers to success.

A new report, “Quality Coaching: Helping Students Navigate the Journey from Education to Career,” highlights these components as the ingredients of a successful undergraduate coaching experience.

Only 1 in 5 recent graduates report receiving all three elements of quality education-to-career coaching, the report notes, and graduates who did experience quality coaching are more likely to report that their first job required a college degree.

One bright note in the data: Access to quality coaching appears to be improving. Current students from the classes of 2024 to 2027 are more likely to report receiving information on career pathways, potential earnings, and employment outcomes compared to recent graduates from the classes of 2020 to 2023.

A MORE NUANCED UNDERSTANDING

The narrative suggesting public backlash in attitudes toward higher education in the U.S. is more limited and nuanced than widespread media attention suggests, a New America analysis of source surveys notes. Among the points of clarity this analysis brings to the discussion: Americans are losing confidence in all kinds of institutions, not just colleges and universities, and higher education is still among the most trusted institutions. Read more.

INFLUENCE OF SKILLS-BASED HIRING

The growing popularity of skills-based hiring represents a significant evolution in how companies recruit and evaluate employees. But while the practice aspires to expand opportunities for underrepresented groups and address skill gaps in the workforce, Harvard economist David Deming writes for The Atlantic, the policy has had little influence in the real world. “If every employer in America formally stopped requiring a four-year college degree for every available position as of tomorrow,” Deming writes, “nothing would change.” Read More.

TRADING COLLEGE FOR $18 AN HOUR

The availability of jobs that come with decent paychecks but don’t require a college degree has led some individuals and families to reconsider whether college is worth the investment of time and money. This trend, The Chronicle for Higher Education’s Jack Strickling and Eric Kelderman note in the College Matters podcast, has implications far beyond higher education​​. Listen here.

WEBINAR: Join Strada’s Laura Love for a discussion of recent research that shares employer perspectives about expanding internship opportunities.

WEBINAR: Join Strada’s Jonathan Furr for a conversation about how state leaders can improve access to data that helps individuals transition from high school to career.

RESOURCES: Strada is proud to support new and comprehensive resources aimed at advancing student success and ensuring meaningful post-graduation outcomes.