A new survey conducted by Strada Education Network and Gallup found that 37 percent of surveyed undergraduates agreed and 34 percent strongly agreed that they will graduate with requisite skills to compete in the job market.
The survey looked at six collegiate experiences such as how supportive relationships and engaging learning opportunities lead to wellbeing for college alumni nationwide and higher engagement in the workplace.
28 percent of undergraduates who had three or fewer of these collegiate experiences were confident they would graduate with the skills and knowledge required to be successful in the job market. The number jumps to 76 percent among students who had all the six experiences.
The survey also found that 18 percent of undergraduates are extremely active in extracurricular activities and that 40 percent of undergraduates have had an internship or job that allows them to apply what they are learning prior to completing school.
“As expected, students become more likely to have had specific experiential learning experiences as they progress through their college years,” the survey reports.
Overall, the survey results suggest that colleges should ensure that their curricula are career-relevant and relationship-rich in order to help students maximize the value of their college experience. The report was conducted in 2017 and was compiled on the basis of a web survey of 32,585 currently enrolled college students.
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