Action plan unveiled to make New England college grads ‘career-ready’
Photo / Amber Waterman
Laurie Lachance, president of Thomas College in Waterville, sat on the New England commission that prepared the report and findings.
New England needs more college and university graduates who are career-ready, says a recently released report by the New England Board of Higher Education Commission on Higher Education and Employability.
Chaired by Rhode Island Gov. Gina M. Raimondo, the 50-member commission spent 11 months studying employer’s concerns about a lack of qualified, skilled workers, especially in rapidly changing, technology-intensive and growth-oriented industries.
Laurie Lachance, president of Thomas College in Waterville, sat on the commission that prepared the report and findings.
The report, “Learning for Life and Work,” found that the vast majority of jobs in the region’s fastest-growing fields will require a postsecondary degree by 2020 — including 60% of health-care support jobs, 93% of health-care professional and technical jobs, 92% of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) jobs and 100% of jobs in social sciences.
The commission says it believes that all post-secondary students must have access to and demonstrate completion of critical employability-related experience while still in school including:
- Foundational skills in literacy, numeracy and communication, including the ability to work in teams; communicate clearly orally and in writing, and solve problems.
- An individual career plan planned early in their postsecondary experience.
- At least one paid and/or credit-bearing work-integrated learning experience.
- Achievement of digital competencies related to the course of study, career goals and the fast-changing economy.
- Attainment of an affordable credential that is employer-informed and is aligned to a career pathway.
Lachance referred to the report as “an action plan for catalyzing the growth and prosperity of the region.” It held up Thomas College’s Guaranteed Job Program as an example of how colleges and universities can equip graduates for the workforce.
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