Grave New World? Workplace Skills For Todays College Graduates

Abstract

Today’s college graduates face an uncertain and demanding job market in which they are likely to encounter evolving skill needs, reduced hiring, and heightened competition from experienced laid off workers and globally available labor. These realities underscore the importance expressed by educators and practitioners of identifying attributes new college graduates should have to meet the challenges and access opportunities of the 21^st century workplace. This paper identifies those core competencies through comprehensive literature review, original studies using primary data, and contextual analysis of the contemporary workplace in which the skills will be valued.