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What did I read this final week of February, and what stood out? It turns out that a big issue is labor market signals—what they mean and how they are changing.
Confident in the classroom; uncertain in the market
Two recent reports caught my attention—not because they say the same thing, but because they don’t. At first glance, they appear to contradict each other. In reality, they reveal something more unsettling: the labor market signal itself is shifting under students’ feet.
The College Reality Check from Gallup and Lumina compares the views of currently enrolled students with those of the general public. It covers familiar terrain, campus climate and open dialogue, but what stood out to me was students’ confidence in their preparation for life after graduation.
Students rate the quality of their education highly.
Overall, seven in 10 college students say the quality of the education they are receiving is “excellent” (23%) or “very good” (47%). This percentage varies only slightly across academic disciplines [snip]
They are also either very confident or confident that their degree or credential will help them get a job once they graduate, with at least 90% of respondents across all degree types and fields reporting confidence.
