“The main problem with employing the NEXT generation consists of this fatal loop : You can’t get a job which you’re qualified for without experience – and nobody gives you a chance to gain any experience because you don’t have any previous experience !” [2]
This quote from a Czech student interviewed by the Generation Europe Foundation for their report “Employing the NEXT Generation”, portrays the paradox that my peers and I will be faced with in the coming years as we finish our undergraduate careers and make out way into the world of work [2].
While career services, at least at City College, offer important resources such resume and cover-letter critiquing, and job search engines, they cannot offer what companies want and students need; experience. In my opinion, if the four years of work I am putting into a degree in Biomedical Engineering is not enough to get me a job in Biomedical Engineering, something is wrong. But is it the fault of the companies or the school?
Suggestions have been made by students in the European Union to make an incentivized system. This includes tax breaks for companies who are willing to employ young graduates with minimal experience, or make a legal percentage of people within a certain age range that must be employed in large companies. While this is a good start, just as we discussed with policing problems, legislation is often not enough, and would be difficult and expensive to keep track of [2].
I think the solution can only come from a collaboration between universities and employers. Most universities are currently not doing enough to prepare their graduates for the actual work that their field entails, but just the factual background. In addition, the companies are not willing to hire those without experience. A formula such as the one imposed at Drexel University offers a collaborative effort between the universities and employers [1].
The school uses a rotation of six-month cycles that alternate between classes and full-time internship and work experience. During this 6-month internship period students are matched to over 1,200 employers and can make up to $16,000. Some students can have up to three co-ops throughout their time at Drexel [1]. What this means is that the school has a working relationship with employers that are willing to hire recent graduates. And more importantly, students are gaining hands on experience in their fields and creating connections and relationships with possible employers. Being that most of the internships are paid, this also means that the measly coffee-fetching, copy-making internships that while fill up a resume have no real significance to the student. In fact, many of the students are offered jobs by their co-op employers upon graduation [1]. In addition, the school itself is working toward a more experiential learning experience, and producing the students that employers want.
If work is changing, so much education. Although this co-operative learning structure may not fit the structure of every university, I feel as though this approach to education will have to become more popular as the nature of work continues to evolve.
[1] http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/drexel-university-3256
[2] http://www.generation europe.eu/assets/what_we_do/research_and_surveys/GEFWFEmployingNextGeneration2010final.PDF
Your solution to alternate college education with internships reminded me of the vocational school system that they use in Switzerland. Two-thirds of 15 to 16-year-olds in Switzerland choose to continue their education through the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system, which combines part-time vocational education with a part-time apprenticeship (Bachmann). This system has apparently proved successful for Switzerland, whose unemployment rate among young people was less than 3% as of 2012 (Bachmann). Although I can’t envision vocational training becoming widespread in the United States, whose culture places high value on liberal arts education, I definitely believe that there is a market for vocational training and apprenticeships in the United States, and even if a few universities like Drexel implement these types of programs, I think a lot of students would benefit from them.
Bachmann, Helen. “Who Needs College? The Swiss Opt for Vocational School | TIME.com.” World Who Needs College The Swiss Opt for Vocational School Comments. Time, Inc., 04 Oct. 2012. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.
I like your idea, and I think it makes sense. Cooperative education doesn’t just give students a chance to gain experience, it gives them a chance to survey the different options they have for their profession and see which they prefer, or if they want to stay in that profession at all. Companies also benefit from the opportunity to screen potential employees for a prolonged period of time without having to pay them as much as they might a real employee. I actually applied and got into Drexel, as well as Case Western Reserve, another school that offers a similar co-op system (alas, they were both far too expensive). While it may not be possible to provide an internship opportunity for every single student that is looking for one, I think that we can definitely expand the number of internship opportunities that currently exist, and also offer alternatives such as research experience opportunities, competitions that mimic work situations and offer monetary or other rewards to finalists, incubators, and so on.
I definitely feel that this solution is a great one. All the students will end up getting the work experience they need and will be more prepared for the work force. In addition to this, they gain a great education. The only thing that troubles me is what happens when everyone has this type of work experience. Previously, going to college alone was enough for one to find a job. Not everyone saw college as a necessity and found a job right out of high school. That is no longer the case today. After high school, the majority of students go to a college. In addition to that, college no longer guarantees you a job anymore. This is most likely due to the high volume of people that go to college today. Having everyone get internships may not be a permanent solution for finding a job after college. Once everyone has an internship, having the internship experience does not set you apart from other job applicants. While having this work experience is useful, employers will have to look elsewhere to determine which job applicant is more valuable. There would have to be a similar reform in the future to make college students appealing once more.