Yolanda Kelley
July, 20 2014
Hindsight, Educational Trends
If I only knew then what I Know now, words of wisdom that often young adults do not appreciate until later in life. As young adults approach graduating from high school, they are faced with having to decide on whether to pursue obtaining a higher education by attending a community college, university, technical school or to forego the education altogether and enter the workforce. Often the decision process may not include considering what the impact may be 15 to 20 years down the road. As the global economy continues to be dynamic, employees are finding employers are demanding more than hard work and good work ethics to be considered for employment let alone career growth. Whether or not one has knowledge or experience in a particular field, employers are demanding academic training, resulting in adults returning back to the classroom, and institutions adapting to how people can obtain an education.
The recent trend for working adults indicates obtaining new employment, maintaining existing employment or climbing the corporate ladder could depend on one’s educational background regardless of one’s skill set. As a matter of fact, according to a CareerBuilder survey the results indicated, “For many companies, an associate or bachelor’s degree is increasingly becoming the new high school diploma.” The survey also indicated “27 percent of employers have increased the education requirements over the last five years.” As employers strive for a greater return on investment, an educated employee willing to adapt to change, with strong interpersonal and technical skills become the most sought out employees. Additionally some employers are indicating that he shift in educational requirements has indicated positives results in regards to employees productivity, work quality, communication, innovation, customer retention, and increased revenue.
As employers raise the bar on the