Evolving Workplace Readiness in Higher Ed

Elevating Workforce Readiness in Higher Ed

Not everyone enters the workplace with the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful. Part of that failure is our fault in higher education. We are graduating students without the transferable soft and hard skills required to succeed outside the classroom. As higher education leaders, it is our responsibility to introduce co-curricular programming that supports workforce readiness for our students. The Society for Human Resource Management defines workplace readiness as the requisite knowledge, skills, abilities, and attributes needed to engage in occupational endeavors. An additional definition from QuickStart IT characterizes workplace readiness as ​​the competence and willingness of employees to change and adapt according to the needs of the workplace. The key words are competence and willingness, implying an individual has to have both to be considered workplace ready. The pandemic highlighted a disconnect between the two across industries. Go to your local fast food restaurant tonight. They might be closed at 8pm because it has been a struggle to employ people in the aftermath of the initial Covid-19 shutdown. Folks have begun to understand the value of their time differently. I’ve often heard, “I’d rather make $3,000 now and then rather than $250 every two weeks”. The pandemic exposed a different way of thinking for many people. So my question is, how do we build a workplace-ready generation that is social media savvy and still equipped for face-to-face interaction? Three areas we can address almost immediately are readiness traits, communication, and lived experience.

1. Identify Workplace Readiness Traits

Employers have several commonly expected skills for employees. The challenge is that the list of skills continues to evolve. As a result, the skills needed today are more nuanced than those of the past. The skills needed in the future will likely look different than what is needed today. Therefore, our co-curricular programming should expand to meet the workplace’s ever-changing needs. Our students should be effective communicators digitally and face-to-face. Problem solving and conflict resolution skills should be a part of their repertoire. The list of transferrable workplace readiness traits goes on.

2. Set Communication Expectations

The way we communicate in the workplace has changed significantly over time. Part of our commitment to student success should be equipping them with proper training on communication best practices. Our students should know how to communicate face-to-face and digitally with equal effectiveness. They should be keenly aware of the differences between formal and informal communication. Communicating by text is different from communicating by email. Email correspondence is different from direct/instant messages or Slack. A social media post or discussion board may lend itself to a different delivery than an email. Zoom conversations require a contrasting approach to communicating solely by phone. And let’s not even get started on the use of emojis. We must have clear, intentional conversations regarding standard communication expectations. When we educate instead of ostracizing our students for their lack of communication knowledge, we set them up for better success in the workplace. While the workplace culture may change, communication soft skills are transferable and appreciated.

3. Invite Lived Experience to the Conversation

In my article Know Your Role, I share the importance of inviting lived experience to diversity discussions. I also believe that lived experience should be a part of our workforce readiness programming. And I do not mean simply adding case studies and white papers for review to our syllabi. Our programs are so academically driven that we neglect to incorporate real-world experiences. As a veteran and nontraditional student, I recognize the value my lived experiences bring to my learning experiences. I can see the blend between the textbook and real life with a broader perspective. Our students deserve the same access to an expanded outlook. Our co-curricular programming for workplace readiness should include conversations and panels with entrepreneurs and business leaders. As we build our programmatic thrust, people with lived experiences should be facilitators. Students need real-time success stories that meet them where they are. The student needs may mean that the co-curricular programming is no longer isolated within the career center or hosted in the student affairs office after hours. Co-curricular programming for workforce readiness must be made readily available and widely accessible.

How do we build a workplace-ready generation that is social media savvy and still equipped for face-to-face interaction?

In higher education, part of our responsibility is to ensure that our students are equipped to land and sustain work placements. We must reset our current approach to co-curricular programming for workforce readiness. Abandoning outdated methods and welcoming practices better aligned with today’s workforce is vital. I challenge us all to remain flexible in how we develop programs and support students. Have something that has worked on your campus? Share in the comments below. Need some assistance? Contact the LEAD Firm.