Preparing Millennials for the 21st Century
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.13021/G8H60BKeywords:
career readiness, 21st century skillsAbstract
Slow employment growth after the "Great Recession" of 2008 has been blamed
by employers on the mismatch between their needs and the skills held by job
applicants. This has led to fears that recent college graduates might become a
"lost generation" unable to advance in the current economic climate. Recent years
have seen the convergence of two demographic trends. First has been a shift in the
nationââ¬â¢s economy from dependence on the conversion of raw materials to goods
to a knowledge age dependent on the conversion of data to valuable information.
Second has been the arrival of the "millennial" generation in higher education and
the workplace. Employers in todayââ¬â¢s economic climate prefer adaptable employees
with thinking, communication, innovation, and process skills over those with
focused job-based training. However, todayââ¬â¢s college students want explicit rules
to govern their decisions and expect grades based on work quantity instead of
quality. Three Mason faculty and staff with experience and research expertise in
student learning, generational characteristics, and career services will discuss
how faculty can help students develop the skills they will need in the workplace.