Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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WHITE PAPER
RE-VISIONING CAREER
SERVICES FOR STUDENTS SUCCESS
w w w . i a o . o r g
Table of Contents
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Executive Summary Introduction Career Services for Students Success Industry Overview Career Preparation on Campus An Outdated Model Industry Challenges Reinventing Career Services Industry Opportunities Framework for New Career Services The Future of Career Services
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Executive Summary
Owing to the globalization, education and technology have been transformed over the past several years. Educational programs, policies and career services function within colleges and universities have also been signi cantly impacted. In the past, if a college was successful in training a student for the workplace, and that student met or exceeded the standards in his or her chosen eld, then the college had done its job that's not enough anymore. Students who have spent the last three, four, ve or even more years preparing themselves for the workplace are strained by a tremendous amount of pressure only to nd their dream jobs are not waiting for them because of recession. The economic downturn require career services teams to elevate their support to a higher level by helping students navigate the process, connect with employers, and secure a well paying job in their eld of study. Due to the recent shift, colleges and universities need to take a closer look at the level of career services support they are delivering to students beyond the learning experience. They need to advance career services to truly support students, graduates and alumni across the education lifecycle. They need to have the systems and processes in place to connect students and employers so they can drive higher placement rates and track the career services outcomes to meet new regulations. Institutions need to look for new ways to help graduates succeed on a professional level, develop a more strategic approach so they can produce better student placement rates, which in turn can also support stronger student recruitment and higher student retention rates. This white paper from IAO is aimed to highlight the career service trends that colleges and universities must consider in order to deliver a higher level of support to students beyond the learning experience. It outlines the steps colleges and universities can and should take to advance career services, achieve higher placement rates and better support students and graduates. IAO has discussed that colleges and universities should address the following factors within their career services organizations: Stronger relationships between employers and institutions Automated communications between students and the school's career services team Dedicated career guidance services stang More student self-service functionality Increased tracking and measurement
Executive Summary
Introduction
It is that time of the year when students graduate from their educational universities or institutes. However, the economic uncertainty has dampened the celebratory mood and spirits of the graduating classes. Universities and institutes will face tough questions from parents who will want to know how the school is helping their child to nd a job and succeed professionally. The desire to see an immediate return on the investment (ROI) of a college degree has never been stronger. Students and their parents focus on the choice of which school to attend, and then expect the strength of that choice to lead to professional success four years later. The challenge for university and college leaders is to ensure that students have a variety of learning opportunities to prepare them to succeed professionally. From day one, students should be able to connect what they are learning both in and outside of the classroom to their long-term goals. However, with the traditional career services model, universities and colleges will be unlikely to meet the twenty- rst century needs of their students and alumni. Colleges and universities are now required to take a closer look at the level of career services support they are delivering to students beyond the learning experience. The need of which arose after the current economical changes. The institutions need to nd new and better ways to support students, graduates and alumni by advancing career services alumni across the education lifecycle. They need to have the systems and processes in place to connect students and employers so they can drive higher placement rates and track the career services outcomes. This paper describes the mounting importance of connecting a college education to professional success. It suggests a few factors that the university leaders should ask about their career programs and o er examples of projects that can help to strengthen career development on campus amidst these times of deep economic uncertainty.
Introduction
Industry Overview
Market Decrease
Between March 2011 and March 2012, the unemployment rate more than doubled for college graduatesfrom 2.1% to 4.3%as over one million college graduates lost their jobs. To compound the problem, about 1.5 million new college graduates are expected in 2013. It is likely that liberal arts students will be hit hardest; in a recent survey by the Collegiate Employment Research Institute, only six percent of employers report that they want to hire humanities or liberal arts majors, and only ve percent are looking to hire social science majors.
Demand Increase
Now more than ever, current and prospective college students are making enrollment and retention decisions based on the quality of professional preparation at colleges. In fact, according to Eduventures Research Company, professional preparation is often a more important factor in decision making than a ordability, and is on par with academic quality.
Industry Challenges
Until recently, schools havent dedicated a lot of resources to career services because stronger market conditions meant it was easier for graduates to get jobs. This also meant less post-graduation accountability on the part of institutions. If a college was successful in training a student for the workplace, and that student met or exceeded the standards in his or her chosen eld, then the college had done its job. The stronger economy in the past has enabled colleges to put resources into other places, namely recruiting. Getting the right students enrolled in the right programs not only had a direct nancial bene t to the institution, but it also increased the likelihood of producing successful graduates and quali ed job applicants. While this approach has helped more students ful ll their academic potential, and enabled colleges and universities to deliver their academic missions, it has yielded some challenges:
More Graduates, Less Jobs Higher education is now in a situation where colleges are producing an increasing number of quali ed graduates, yet these graduates have fewer career opportunities in front of them. On top of that, because the recession has resulted in challenging times for graduates, the government has stepped in to oversee recruitment and placement activities to ensure institutions are in compliance and students needs are being met. More Graduates, Less Resources Until now, higher education has had to deliver minimal
resources to help students nd and secure available jobs. Fewer jobs lead to more competition among graduates, leaving students who dont come out ahead of the pack with very few options. Although experts predict that economic recovery isnt far o , over the last few years, there has been more pressure for schools to make sure their graduates have the necessary skills to attract employers. However, it goes beyond simply preparing students for the real world. Fewer jobs means no matter how quali ed the student is, he or she needs more help navigating the placement process. Colleges are being expected to shoulder some, if not a lot, of this responsibility. To support students through the career placement process, the government has taken the following initiatives and the institutions now need to take care of: Students Placement Rates institutions that can prove their placement rates will be entitled for student funding Career Services Department institutions need to dedicate more resources so that graduates can connect with employers Job Placement institutions need to place more students into jobs to see an increase in students enrolment and retention
Framework
Before doing anything, of course, you must assess your current situation and needs. Start by asking simple questions about your institution and your career services operation to identify top priorities.
Student Needs
It isnt enough anymore to simply gain the skills necessary for job success, rather students need to be able to market themselves to employers. Colleges and universities need to provide a place and a process for students to do this. Build an Online Pro le Students need to be able to showcase their academic, personal and professional accomplishments in order to attract employers Attach a Cover Letter and Resume Students need to be able to upload and update attachments in order to communicate their career goals, experience and quali cations; they also need to be able to provide viewing access to potential employers. Search Employer Pro les Students need access to the various employers who are hiring in their eld so they can align their skill sets and goals with organizations for which they would like to work Search Job/Internship Postings Students need access to as much real world experience as possible in order to get their foot in the door with employers. The solution: A student portal is critical to enabling self service capabilities so students can promote their skills and achievements, nd job opportunities and connect with employers.
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Employer Needs
The shift in the job market has meant that employers have been able to be more selective in the hiring process. As we embark on an economic recovery, that may or may not continue. Regardless, employers also need to be able to market themselves, as well as search for and easily connect with quali ed candidates. Create Company Pro le Employers need to be able to communicate their value proposition to future employees in terms of their business model, markets served, mission, culture and goals. Post Job Openings Online Employers need an ecient way to spread the word about job opportunities to a network of students and graduates who will most likely meet prerequisites. View Student Background and Resume Employers need to be able to quickly and easily learn about and qualify prospective applicants. Generate Resume Books Employers need to be able to compile resumes from quali ed applicants in order to compare skill sets and achievements, and seek out the most appropriate candidate. The solution: an employer portal can enable a company to strengthen its ties with a college or university. This increases the likelihood that the organization will look to that institutions as a reputable source of job seekers, connect with those candidates, and expand their employee base.
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Automated Communications
Well see more proactive communications between students and a schools career services team to make sure students can e ectively market themselves to employers. Well also see this outreach start earlier for example, instead of waiting until a student is one month away from graduation, the placement process might start 6 months to a year prior to graduation.
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Conclusion
Higher education knows that something needs to be done. The industry is seeing a shift as career services gain traction in priority and importance primarily because of the current economic situation and government intervention. Institutions must evolve their career services and placement strategies, as well as reallocate money and sta given the regulatory landscape. From an accreditation perspective, colleges need to prove placement as an end result of student success. Almost all accrediting bodies assess placement rates, though in di erent measures, as a determining factor in a college securing and maintaining its accreditation. Again, the loss of accreditation could likely mean the loss of enrollments and the departure of programs. The argument of this white paper is that campus career centers and student employers must work together to improve retention and success by providing speci c types of employment opportunities, such as internships and part-time jobs. This type of collaboration must be based on a sound understanding of the ways that employment a ects retention and success. A strong professional preparation program is a long-term investment that will have an immediate impact. The summer is an ideal time to conduct an assessment, design a strategy, and begin to implement changes. While there is little data out there that speaks to placement results across higher education, the consensus is that there is tremendous room for improvement. Colleges and universities need to set their goals higher in order to: Exceed accreditation requirements Stay compliant with federal regulations Recruit at a higher level Fulfill the obligation a college has to its students and graduates
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Conclusion
About IAO
Accreditation and educational quality assurance are essential factors that complete the educational ecosystem. While regional accreditation bodies have dutifully evaluated education providers on a regional scale; a body to recognize and accredit education providers on an international scale was needed in the wake of growing globalization. With more students studying at Educational Institutions or working for companies outside their home country, it was imperative to create standards that are both regionally and internationally recognized and accepted. To accomplish the challenge, IAO created a unique Points Pro le System by organizing the best global practices in education in one place. IAO gathered educational quality assurance standards from around in world in collaboration with various regional accreditation bodies and created evaluation criteria, that works as a general basis of evaluation for any education provider, regardless of its regional location. The core focus of the Points Pro le System is to work as an additional international accreditation for education providers that will supplement their regional accreditation. The Points Pro le System is a dynamic and evolving system that is continually updated in order to cater new developments in the academic world. In relation to this, IAO is also working upon a Points Pro le System for students on an individual level that will increase individual acceptability and recognition of students in both educational sector and the employer market. IAO owes its success to its strong network and team of accreditation professionals spread in over 25 countries around the world. IAO has also collaborated with regional accreditation bodies to supplement their strict accreditation methods with its expertise of standardizing the educational environment internationally. IAOs expertise and services are also recognized by di erent global accreditation associations.
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About IAO
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Contact IAO
Contact O ce:
IAO, 10685-B Hazelhurst Dr. #11524 Houston, TX 77043, USA