Is There a Mismatch between the Goals of Education and Business in the U.S.?

There’s a very old joke about schooling where one businessman asks his other businessman friend, “Nice to see you. How are things going?”

“You know… the usual,” the man responds, “but I still haven’t been asked to do any algebra today.”

It is a story familiar to anyone who has suffered through an educational course that does not seem to have any bearing on their future career. While this story is obviously apocryphal, there are many business owners who lament the quality and the training of entry-level job applicants. Indeed, it makes one wonder if there really is a disconnect between the vaunted American college education and the needs of U.S. businesses.

What are we teaching?
The consensus among business owners and managers is not a lack of jobs but a lack of qualified applicants – the people applying simply do not have the necessary skills to fill the position. This leaves employers in the unenviable position of “fighting” for merely adequate – never mind, the best –   employees in what is arguably the highest unemployment environment since the great depression.

Even more troubling, the entry level skills required by these companies are not things like advanced statistical analysis or advanced C++ programming – although both of these are purportedly being taught at the undergraduate level in American universities – but merely basic reading, writing, math and problem solving skills.

Educational Institutions have become Businesses Themselves
This fact means that institutions of higher learning are no longer interested in providing a trained workforce but are more concerned with optimizing their own bottom line. The disparity here is made painfully obvious in a McKinney study that shows three quarters of educators polled think they are providing “ready for work” graduates while less than half of the business people polled think so.

It should be kept in mind that these are not high school or vocational education programs that are being questioned but those offered by the finest secondary schools in the country. Is it any wonder that corporations spend an ever-increasing amount of their HCM budgets on training – remedial or otherwise?

Vocational Training has received a “Bad Rap”
By training their students in “real-world” practical skills; vocational schools have created a track record where the vast majority of their graduates can find a job within 90 days of leaving school. It is a sobering thought, when many more traditionally schooled scholars – yes, I am referring to philosophy and history majors – can’t find a job in the “food service” industry for a year or more.

As an added incentive, many vocational schools also develop an integrated relationship with businesses in their industry and these companies often offer paid apprenticeships to the students. Contrast this process with the unpaid “internships” available through traditional college placement offices. Businesses simply cannot rely on this type of free labor if they expect to attract the best applicants.

Students Just Don’t Understand
Some would say the educational industry bears the brunt of the blame for this situation but businesses have been complicit in its execution. The result is that students have been sold a bill of goods where they expect that their services will be needed – nay, demanded – when they graduate. It simply isn’t so.

It is time for a severe reconsideration of what education is intended to accomplish and what the needs of students’ are. Colleges be damned. With many degrees costing in excess of $100,000, shouldn’t the graduates be rewarded with some return on their investment and not just a “sheepskin” on the wall?