Academic Skills Prepare Graduates for Work - Essay Example

? Academic Skills Prepare Graduates for Work Introduction As a result of the various changes in the workplace, the knowledge, attitude and skills required for successful completion of work has seen a vital transformation. For instance, new employers are more concerned regarding attitudes as well as soft skills rather than competencies and technical knowledge. Empirical work studies have also suggested that workers and employers now feel that generic skills like, communication, problem solving as well as team working abilities, have become extremely critical for the overall success of the workplace (Bailey, Hughes and Barr, 1998). As a result, academics are concentrating more on the skill and work based learning. The primary purposes which have been identified at large for work based learning are; acquiring skill and knowledge with respect to employment in specific industries and occupations, providing career planning and exploration and learning all industry aspects. Increasing social as well as personal competence related to general work and enhancing the motivation of students for academic achievement are other aspects which have found profound interest and critical pace in the teaching techniques in colleges. The current essay throws light on the abovementioned aspects. Research has been conducted on how academics prepare students for work and building their professional careers. Examples from various top colleges and universities will help in understanding the various skill sets and course curriculum which are being implemented in order to enhance the academic learning experience. Review In order to understand the academic skills required, it is important to understand and contemplate the meaning of academic skills and knowledge. Stasz and Brewer (1998) defined academic skills are “measurable properties of individuals,” which included academic tests. However, influential academic skills might be understood as those techniques and knowledge which will help the students in reinforcing their motivation, quality and overall performance in office. In other words, it is the knowledge which will help students in coping with real world. In broad sense, academic skills can be considered as a collection of learning strategies, study habits as well as tools and techniques for time management helping students learn as well as absorb the lessons in college. Generally, students pursue academic learning as information, thus wanting for more. The literature review and surveys on this field of study has been least, confining only to specific subjects or training programs. However, this field has got enormous implications. In the past, most of the course curriculum consisted of limited learning prospects, comprising of bookish or theoretical knowledge. However, with the changing scenes and increasing requirement of practical knowledge, colleges and universities are implementing a mix of theoretical learning as well as practical applications, so that the students and graduates are better prepared for the real life work experience (Philadelphia School District, 1998). Several literatures have reviewed the skills required for successful conduction of work. However, none of these surveys and reviews has confirmed a single technique or methodology which can satisfy all the requirements. So, any literature survey on relationship between work and academic skills is unlikely to present definitive answers (Berryman and Bailey, 1992). Most of the literature reviews and research work on this field have revealed the underlying controversies shaping debate regarding academic skills as well as various issues and themes. First, is defining of academic skills which have been observed earlier. Various theoretical perspectives have dominated the study of academic skills yielding conflicting results as well as policy recommendations. One approach is positivist, according to which individuals have the ability to transfer skills. Another approach is situational perspective, according to which skills are much larger than any individual’s cognitive or behavioural processes. The act of individuals in various social systems determines work distribution, skill requirements and various other factors. Thus, direct transfer of these skills is considered as rare. Educators and instructors in this field grapple with the evolving skill needs in different ways. Recent literature review has suggested that course curriculum in various academic disciples has become interdisciplinary and universities are placing greater emphasis on applications of applying these academic knowledge and skills to solve real life problems (National Center for Education Statistics, 1998). These educators are searching for relevant problem situations as well as applications which will help and engage students in understanding the underlying implications of academic concepts. As a result, universities are giving more emphasis on activities such as, project based learning and outside classroom trainings. The objective here is to creative a more explicit relationship between work and academics. Many educators see value in contextual as well as applied learning, but find it extremely difficult in identifying or importing application based learning procedures inside classroom premises. As a result, more and more professionals from the education industry are realizing the value of effective and application based academic skills, while preparing graduates for work. It has also been realized that employers in this new-age work environment are less concerned regarding academic or theoretical based learning. Employers expect newcomers and fresh graduates to be numerate and literate. However, when it comes to hiring decisions more emphasis is given on the applicants communication skills, work experiences, work related attitudes, knowledge outside regular course curriculum as well certifications (Hanser and Stasz, 1999). Most of these professional recruiters are more interested in attributes and skills which researchers have established as important for professional and personal development. Corporate expect students to engage with variety of developmental and application based activities, which will help them believe that the students and graduates are equipped with relevant and required motivation and attributes. In the next section, the essay will throw light on various skills and attributes which are in-trend and expected by the corporate and highly implemented by the top level colleges and universities. Various researchers and academic professionals have identified few attributes and skills, which are universal for most of the corporate requirements. These particular skills and attributes are being widely followed and implemented by universities and colleges with the objective of increasing the value of academic learning as well as enhancing the overall academic experience of the graduates. Few of the identified skills are networking, time management, resilience, presentation skills as well as management and leadership. Networking has become one of the most demanding and important skills in the corporate world. However, the knowledge and attributes required for developing networking skills is a very daunting task. Networking basically means making professional contacts as well as building relationships with corporate professionals. Networking has become critical in major aspects of corporate life such as, finding job, getting promotions, selling, finding prospective clients and creating a social status (Hollenbeck, 1996). Academics and educational professionals help in developing networking skills by developing positive attitude among graduates, in terms of making professional contacts, identifying and researching relevant individuals in the chosen career or field of work, attending appropriate conferences and making social contacts as well as effective conversations with the corporate professionals (Bailey and Merritt, 1997). Another skill, popular and demanding, among corporate is time management. Success in a professional setting requires critical understanding of time management. Academics help individuals and students in understanding the importance of dividing time into essential and non-essential activities along with primary and secondary priorities. They help the students to be highly disciplined and organized, prioritize their activities as well as give importance to urgent matters. Time management skills will also help these fresh graduates in coping with the transition from academic life to professional life and maintaining a balance between professional and personal commitments (Hershey, et al., 1999). Resilience is another trait which is high in demand and increases the overall value of academic learning in colleges and universities. It is popularly known that corporate lifestyle is highly different from academic lifestyles. Corporate life is full of criticism and negative feedback which can affect the motivation as well as performance of fresh corporate professionals (M. A. Hamilton and S. F. Hamilton, 1997). Academic learning helps in developing resilience through various theoretical lectures as well as application based programs. The overall objective is to create an environment similar to corporate and provide the students with a firsthand experience of various opportunities and side effects of corporate criticism as well as ways and means to effectively handle them. Presentation skills, management skills and leadership skills are few other important learning skills practiced in academic settings. Presentation skills is a crucial attribute which is required in almost every field concerned with marketing, sales as well as human resource development. Leadership and management skills help fresh professionals not only in dealing with crisis situations, but also enhancing their opportunities for growth and development on the corporate ladder. Conclusion From the above study, it is clear that though academic learning has always been criticized for being obsolete and unrelated with the requirements of the changing and evolving corporate environment, they play an important role in building the fundamentals and basics which is extremely crucial for establishing a strong foothold in any corporate setting. The present academic learning system has evolved with new techniques and procedures, thereby helping graduates and students in developing essential skills as well as attributes in order to make them suitable and fit for the corporate environment. Reference List Bailey, T. and Merritt, D., 1997. School-to-work for the college bound. Berkeley, CA: National Center for Research in Vocational Education. Bailey, T., Hughes, K. and Barr, T., 1998. Achieving scale and quality in school-to-work internships: Findings from an employer survey. Berkeley, CA: National Center for Research in Vocational Education. Berryman, S.E. and Bailey, T.R., 1992. The double helix of education and the economy. New York, NY: Institute on Education and the Economy, Teachers College. Hamilton, M. A. and Hamilton, S. F., 1997. Learning well at work: Choices for quality. New York, NY: Cornell University Press. Hanser, L. and Stasz, C., 1999. The effects of enrollment in the transportation career academy program on student outcomes. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation Hershey, A. M., Silverberg, M.K., Haimson, J., Hudis, P. and Jackson, R., 1999. Expanding options for students: Report to Congress on the national evaluation of school-to-work implementation. Princeton, NJ: Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. Hollenbeck, K., 1996. In their own words: Student perspectives on school-to-work opportunities. Washington, DC: National Institute for Work and Learning, Academy for Educational Development. National Center for Education Statistics, 1998. Digest of education statistics 1997.Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. Philadelphia School District. 1998. Learning plans—Rationale. Philadelphia, PA: Office of Education for Employment. Stasz, C. and Brewer, D. J., 1998. Academic skills at work: Two perspectives. Berkeley, CA: National Center for Research in Vocational Education. Read More