Is College Failing Gen Z? New Data Reveals Just How Deep the College Crisis Goes
The landscape of higher education is shifting dramatically. With colleges closing at an alarming rate and Gen Z questioning the traditional four-year degree, it’s clear that institutions need to adapt to survive. A recent Forbes article, “New Data Reveals Just How Deep The College Crisis Goes,” cites a study sponsored by Hult International Business School, a global education institution with seven campuses in three countries, that points to a sharp gap in how colleges are preparing their students for success and what employers demand from new graduate hires. “Recent college graduates are profoundly unhappy with their lack of workplace readiness—and so are their employers,” the article states. Read the full Forbes article here.
The study reveals some alarming statistics from recent undergraduate students and HR leaders:
- 77% of graduates report that they learned more in 6 months on the job than in their entire 4-year education.
- 85% of graduates wish their college had better prepared them for the workplace.
- 55% of graduates say their college education didn’t prepare them at all for their job.
- 75% of HR leaders say most college educations aren’t preparing people at all for their jobs.
- 96% of HR leaders believe colleges need to take more responsibility for workplace training.
Forbes reports: “According to the study, the top five human skills that HR leaders are desperate to find in their new hires are communication (98%), a willingness to learn (93%), collaboration (92%), creativity (90%) and critical thinking (87%). People with these skills are able to adapt and grow as professionals, even if they don’t arrive at the job with all the technical competencies perfectly mastered.”
Transformation at Utah State University
See how college students at Utah State University are learning human skills for life and workplace readiness with The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People®.
These findings underscore the urgency for change in higher education. So, how can institutions address these challenges and better prepare graduates for success? Dr. Stephen Covey’s international bestselling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, offers a powerful framework for higher education institutions to teach students the top five human skills HR leaders are looking for, preparing students to stand out in the job market and get hired.
Below are the life- and work-ready human skills that students develop from studying and practicing the 7 Habits:
- Habit 1—Be Proactive: Assume responsibility and accountability, and drive results by being resourceful and taking initiative. You focus work, attention, problem-solving and decision-making on things you can do something about, rather than being reactive and getting stuck on things outside of your control. Build credibility with others by increasing your influence and contribution.
- Habit 2—Begin With the End in Mind: Have a vision and purpose in the short-term and long-term. Clearly define outcomes before acting, and set effective goals and plans rather than heading in the wrong direction. You intentionally take charge of your life by defining who you want to be and where you want to go, then align your life and work choices and goals based on your personal mission.
- Habit 3—Put First Things First: Focus on what is most important and protect time for priorities by assessing roles and goals on a weekly basis. Organize work in more productive ways by discerning what is urgent, important, distracting, and wasteful. You consistently make disciplined choices to focus your time and effort on work and life activities that align to your stated mission, values, and goals.
- Habit 4—Think Win-Win: Think creatively to find mutual benefits in all relationships and interactions. You approach life and work with an abundance mentality to find beneficial solutions by having courage to express your views, while also showing consideration by respectfully seeking others’ perspectives and needs.
- Habit 5—Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood: Practice the powerful skill of listening empathically to deeply understand the views and needs of others. When you listen first, you build trust and develop influence by creating a deeper sense of connection and understanding. Then, you respectfully share your point of view. You are better able to address or solve problems, especially complex ones, when you listen first.
- Habit 6—Synergize: Collaborate with others to find new solutions to challenges. You value differences and seek others’ perspectives, experiences, and skills. You intentionally step outside of your normal way of thinking to see things in a new way—to work with others to explore alternative solutions together.
- Habit 7—Sharpen the Saw: Increase motivation, energy, improvement and work-life balance by making time for activities that renew you. You avoid burnout by taking care of yourself in all dimensions—body, mind, heart, and spirit. You increase your capacity to continually learn, produce results, and effectively handle the challenges and opportunities that emerge from a fast-changing world.
The 7 Habits is the most trusted framework for improving individual effectiveness, leadership, and team performance—practiced by people and organizations throughout the world. By offering 7 Habits learning experiences to their students, colleges can become more relevant and impactful. When students learn and practice the 7 Habits, they will develop the in-demand human skills that they need for college success, while also building their confidence for work-readiness. Graduates will become job candidates that employers eagerly want to hire—and graduates will feel prepared for workplace success.