The Wall Street Journal recently posted an article “Job Market Perks Up for Recent College Graduates.” It paints a good picture for the recent graduate population, but there are a few points worth calling out:
- Percent of respondents in the survey is limited to 66% of those contacted
- The measurement of employment is 6 months following graduation
It is a challenge to have 100% participation in any survey, particularly those that are sent 6 months post-graduation. It looks like the needle is pointing in the right direction as 66% is up from last year’s 50%.
Years ago, the primary measurement on graduate job outcomes were based on the time of graduation, not a 6 month grace period. An interesting measurement of employment would be those students that graduated with employment offered, versus those who gained employment at the 6 month mark. The 6 month measurement seems to point that students are gaining employment via alternative resources, other than normal career service offerings.
In addition, at six months out they might also be settling for jobs that simply pay the bills and very well might not require a college degree.
Understanding the activities it takes to achieve employment and creating measurements around those successful in gaining employment is something GTG is deeply engaged in.
College is expensive. College takes a significant amount of time. More importantly, college can be incredibly valuable to the individual who manages the experience wisely.
Similar to measuring graduation rates, measuring career outcomes creates an important barometer for success. Along the same lines, GPA and retention are outstanding indicators to graduation. One can’t close their eyes and hope they will get a job in 4 years.
Gone are the days that receiving an outstanding education is mutually exclusive to one gaining full time employment. Let’s create a metric system that measures real outcomes early and often.
Today, students go to college to get a job. An education is simply a means to that end. Let’s make sure we are preparing student-athletes for a career in the workforce as well.
