Career readiness is important to postsecondary students, but 60 percent don’t feel well prepared for the workforce, according to a survey from McGraw-Hill Education.
Students are increasingly focused on college as career preparation—71 percent in 2016 say this is an “extremely important” aspect of their postsecondary education, up from 66 percent two years ago.
However, only 40 percent of college seniors say their experience in college has been very helpful in preparing them for a career. Students in STEM majors are most likely to feel optimistic about their career prospects.
Specific elements of career preparation that students value include work-based learning, career preparation tools, alumni networking and the development of employability skills. In particular, 78 percent of students cite interpersonal skills as important for the job search and 67 percent wish they had had more access to work-based learning and similar professional experiences.
Finally, more than half of respondents would have taken advantage of free tuition at a community college, if it had been available.
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