申論題

    Every year, approximately 5,300 colleges and universities in the U.S. busily churn out thousands of graduates. And American higher education remains a sought-after commodity worldwide, as evidenced by the million-plus international students flocking to the U.S. to study. Given the apparent abundance of available talent, why do many industry leaders and other employers continue to complain about a “skills gap,” asserting that they can’t find qualified candidates to fill positions? And why, according to the Economic Policy Institute, are more than 7% of U.S. college graduates unemployed and nearly 15% under-employed? The question is: whether or not today’s higher education institutions were developing graduates with the skills employers need. On the other hand, a more fundamental issue worth pondering: is it higher education’s mission to prepare people for the skills they need in an up-to-date fashion for the current job market? What makes the conspicuous disconnect between academia and the workplace reality?