Topic Focus and Relevance
The main topic for this research will be ‘Closing the gap between college and the workplace’. Research in this area will address the problem of rising numbers of unemployed graduates (Jacobson, 2021). Graduates and those who have not yet graduated are also affected by this issue. With graduation fast approaching, we wonder if our academic achievements will be helpful in the workforce. Most professional employers believe that the current educational curricula are to blame for this talent shortage. Academic credentials are no longer as necessary in the workplace as talents.
The research topic has implications for various stakeholders, including those in the job and educational spheres. Research in this field primarily affects students currently enrolled in school, graduates, employers, educators, and administrators of educational programs. (Sandri et al., 2018). The study aims to address educational curriculum difficulties and provide recommendations for improvements in the educational and job sectors. Curriculum developers and potential employers are included in the expected audience to respond to the research changes.
The topic will be narrowed down into subtopics that address the problems that are present in the current curricula and elaborate on the skill sets that are relevant to employers today. Each obstacle will receive its subsection, which will include an in-depth analysis and suggestions for overcoming the obstacles. The paper might cause debates because people value the traditional education system. Since the work not only questions the necessity of academic achievements but also proposes to alter them, controversies are inevitable.
Furthermore, some questions arose during the work on the paper. Should employers be involved in creating curricula? Should the universities focus solely on employment matters? Or should employers pay more attention to academics when recruiting? The questions will be answered using information from many different sources. The sources used are peer-reviewed articles and expert books. There are opposing perspectives on the topic, as well as various solutions. The topic of the paper is relevant nowadays. Thus, it was not hard to find credible sources. The most promising source is Bridging the gap between Curriculum and career by Jacobson since it directly discusses the topic of the paper.
Annotated Bibliography
Jacobson, C. E. (2021). Bridging the gap between curriculum and career. CAEL.
The webpage will help understand the gap between college and the workplace. The author’s credentials are solid and intellectual because she has a PhD. The “artificial and increasingly destructive separation between subject-matter learning in the classroom and learning defined as career-relevant” that early graduates experience is explained in this article. To help students transition from college to the workplace, Jacobson discusses several tactics they can employ. The reasoning Jacobson can be used to promote the idea that academic curricula must be changed.
Brown, G. (2018). Online education policy and practice: The past, present, and the future of the digital university. American Journal of Distance Education, 32(2), 156–158. doi:10.1080/08923647.2018.1440475
The article is a review by Gary Brown of the book by Anthony Picciano. Picciano provides insight into how traditional education is failing to meet current needs. The author of the book highlights the privatized nature of modern education and promotes online education, which is accessible “anytime, anyplace.” Brown criticizes Picciano for selecting only the information which fosters his ideas and ignoring real situations. Also, Brown questions Picciano’s expertise in the topic. Furthermore, Brown expresses the opposite opinion to Picciano’s. Therefore, the book review can be used to explore different perspectives on the topic.
Farber, A. (2019). Career Rookie: A Get-lt-Together Guide for Grads, Students and Career Newbies. ECW Press.
The book presents the difficulties and misinterpretations graduates and postgraduates face. This book uses questions and prompts to help to find the proper career. The author wrote the book to help her younger siblings make better, more educated professional selections. She speaks plainly like a friend providing advice. The advice from the book can be used to make suggestions about curricula change.
Sandri, O., Holdsworth, S. & Thomas, I. (2018). Assessing graduate sustainability capability post-degree completion: Why is it important and what are the challenges? International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 19(1), 2-14.
This scholarly article shows the requirement for post-graduation basic skills. Higher education institutions must undertake initiatives to ensure students’ career preparation. Students at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, contributed. Their purpose is to illustrate college graduates’ issues and why workforce preparation is crucial. The nature of capabilities and their assessment post-degree completion offers obstacles to the creation of assessment and measurement instruments. The sustainability capability assessment approaches can be used to identify the main criteria for successful employment.
Ransbotham, S., Kiron, D., Gerbert, P., & Reeves, M. (2017). Reshaping business with artificial intelligence: Closing the gap between ambition and action. MIT Sloan Management Review, 59(1).
This scholarly journal demonstrates the effects of a shifting global and economic landscape and the necessity of change to re-align the education system with the workforce. It is discussed that we are about to enter a new era of knowledge and employment requirements. It also emphasizes the significance of education and the role that it plays in laying the foundation for those who are well-rounded. The source can be used to understand the significance of education in the workplace.
Le, N. P. (2020). Education, employment, and income: An overview of rural-urban gaps in Vietnam. Vietnam Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 3(2), 647-661.
This paper points out that the gap in educational attainment between people living in cities and those living in rural areas becomes significantly wider as a person advances in their educational pursuits. This reality has a significant impact, both urban and rural, on the kind of jobs available to workers and the earnings those jobs pay. Enhancing rural residents’ access to credit, particularly for those in lower socioeconomic brackets, and expanding educational opportunities are two recommended measures for narrowing the disparities between urban and rural communities. It also offers training possibilities for jobs in formal sectors and entrepreneurial support to create household companies, both of which boost income options for low-income groups in the rural sector. The paper will help to identify problems caused by differences in opportunities.
Belwal, R., Priyadarshi, P. & Al Fazari, M. H. (2017). Graduate attributes and employability skills: Graduates’ perspectives on employers’ expectations in Oman. International Journal of Educational Management, Vol. 31 No. 6, pp. 814-827.
This paper examines the most prevalent graduate traits related to a student’s job prospects. The study employs “hypotheticodeductive logic” and “inferential reasoning” through the use of focus groups and surveys. In this study, a famous university in Oman uses an online method of data gathering to analyze and present insights into graduate qualities and employment issues. Education in Oman primarily focuses on the development of graduate qualities rather than a broader set of generic abilities. The source can be used to identify the main requirements for future employees.
References
Belwal, R., Priyadarshi, P. & Al Fazari, M. H. (2017). Graduate attributes and employability skills: Graduates’ perspectives on employers’ expectations in Oman.International Journal of Educational Management, Vol. 31 No. 6, pp. 814-827.
Brown, G. (2018). Online education policy and practice: The past, present, and the future of the digital university. American Journal of Distance Education, 32(2), 156–158.
Farber, A. (2019). Career Rookie: A Get-lt-Together Guide for Grads, Students and Career Newbies. ECW Press.
Jacobson, C. E. (2021). Bridging the gap between curriculum and career. CAEL. Web.
Le, N. P. (2020). Education, employment, and income: An overview of rural-urban gaps in Vietnam.Vietnam Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 3(2), 647-66.
Ransbotham, S., Kiron, D., Gerbert, P., & Reeves, M. (2017). Reshaping business with artificial intelligence: Closing the gap between ambition and action.MIT Sloan Management Review, 59(1).
Sandri, O., Holdsworth, S. & Thomas, I. (2018). Assessing graduate sustainability capability post-degree completion: Why is it important and what are the challenges?International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 19(1), 2-14.