Data on Subbaccalearate Health Science Students: A new report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) uses data from a 2015-16 national survey of undergraduates to examine the characteristics of students seeking subbaccalaureate credentials in health sciences. Health sciences is the most common occupational education program chosen by subbaccalueate students, followed closely by business and marketing. The data also shows that health science students were more likely to enroll in a two-year institution, and were more likely to obtain an associate degree rather than a certificate.
Access and Equity to Incarcerated Youth and Young Adults: Advance CTE recently released a resource that was developed in collaboration with the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center that seeks to provide incarcerated youth and young adult students with equity and access in high-quality CTE programs. This report onlines five key actions CTE state leaders can take:
- Ensure CTE program rigor in programs with incarcerated youth and young adult students.
- Continue adopting and implementing promising practices.
- Use funding to support CTE programs in correctional facilities.
- Appoint a state-level designee to oversee the development and delivery of these CTE programs.
- Collaborate, collect and share student-level data and program-outcome data to enhance the accountability for these programs.
Report on Top Employability Skills Preparedness Gaps: Two reports from The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) on a survey of 11,000 respondents, composed of students, faculty, alumni and employers, explore gaps in employability skills and workforce preparedness among college graduates. The first report focuses on gaps in employability skills. The researchers found that the most crucial gap among all groups was the ability to handle conflict. The second report focuses on preparedness in the workforce. The researchers found four key skills that employees need: conflict resolution, building persistence, accepting change and managing ambiguity.
High School Students Expectations for Healthcare Careers: High school freshmen, specifically those interested in healthcare, were asked about their occupational expectations by the age of 30 in 2009 and again in 2012 to understand how students’ perception may have evolved, in a report from NCES. Two of the key findings include:
- Nearly a third of students expected to have a healthcare related job by the age of 30 when they were freshman in 2009 and 2012.
- A higher percentage of females expected to have a job in healthcare by the age of 30 than males in both 2009 and 2012.
Bring Financial Wellness to Community College Students: Community colleges have a responsibility to provide students with access to financial aid and ensure students are aware of available resources as well as have a strong foundation in personal financial management, states the Association for Community College Trustees’ new report on financial wellness. In order to provide holistic support to students, it must be recognized that the expenses for going to school often exceed the grant aid that is given. Also, financial literacy is critical for students when they are navigating college finances and personal expenses. The researchers also provide an example of a personal finance course from the Guardian Money Management for Life (MMFL) Program to show the holistic supports students need to be successful.
Research on Skills Trade Programs: JFF released a new report to examine skilled trades education and the types of programs that are being offered in 37 states, as well as who is participating in these programs and both the academic and nonacademic outcomes of the students. The researchers discuss the challenges of skilled trades education and provide some solutions to overcome them. A companion piece by Harbor Freight can be found here, (which was covered in a recent Research Round-up that can be found here.
Report on STEM Occupational Intentions: A report released by NCES explores how the occupational expectations changed -or not- of high school freshmen in 2009 by the spring of 2012 who were in Science, Information Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The report focuses on four different categories of STEM occupational intentions: STEM Intenders, STEM Newcomers, STEM Leavers and Non-STEM Intenders.
Health and STEM Career Expectations of High School Students: In a report from NCES, the researchers use U.S. data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) to determine 15-year-old high school students’ perspectives on future career paths. The report includes the percentage and average score of students who anticipate a career path in a health field or in a STEM field.
Report of Projection of Education Statistics to 2028: A continuing report, Projection of Education Statistics to 2028, from NCES provides national-level data on public and private elementary and secondary school schools and degree-granting postsecondary institutions. Included in the report are projections of enrollment, graduates, teachers and expenditures to the year 2028.
Effect of Dual Enrollment on Student Outcomes: A longitudinal study was conducted to understand the effects of dual enrollment on college and early labor market outcomes. Researchers found significant effects for students who participated in dual enrollment on two-year and four-year college enrollment, degree attainment and early labor market earnings six years after high school, with greater positive impacts on minority students. Using their findings, the researchers highlight the importance of dual enrollment for improving the transition to postsecondary and workforce for underrepresented students.
Students Without College Degrees Filling the Skills Gap: Of the 16 million workers without a college degree but with skills through alternative routes (STARS), 11 million workers termed “Rising STARs” are currently employed in middle-to low-wage work, according to a report from the National Bureau of Economic Research. Based on these findings, researchers propose classification for STARS to identify potential job transitions to higher-wage work within their current earnings category and across earnings categories.
Higher Education Data Tool: College Insight has a new tool on their website to allow higher education advocates to find data related to college access, affordability and success. The platform allows users to compare institutions, explore higher education data and browse topics related issues students and graduates are facing in the United States.