Wednesday, April 25, 2012

REALITY BASED BUSINESS EDUCATION - MORE THAN A SLOGAN

A couple of days ago, I read with considerable interest the Associated Press' story regarding new and upcoming college graduates. According to them, the data is pretty dismal if you've recently graduated from college -- 53.6% of bachelor degree holders under the age of 25 are jobless or underemployed. And the forecast for the future is even more bleak. As reported by the AP, for the 30 occupations with the largest projected number of job openings by 2020, only 3 (10%) will require a bachelor's degree or higher to fill the position. These three are teachers, college professors, and accountants. Many graduates are saying, "Everyone is telling you to 'Go to college' but when you graduate, it's sort of an empty cliff." There is a growing feeling that the choices one makes about level of schooling, your field of study, where you attend college, and how you pay for it are significantly more important decisions than they have been in the past.
 
The UHD College of Business annually surveys our graduates on precisely the information outlined above and I am happy to report that based upon our responses, about 62% of our graduates over the past 5 years feel they are in either: a) a career track position; or b) a position that will serve as a "springboard" to other possibilities. Another 26% reported receiving a promotion after obtaining their UHD business degree (because many of our students are already employed full time when they enroll and pursue their UHD degree). Only 7% responded they were underemployed. The balance were pursuing graduate degrees (probably in our new MBA program!!).
 
Maybe the AP should do a little investigation of UHD's College of Business "Reality based business education". Our graduates will tell you straight up that it's where 'the rubber meets the road'.....