An opinion piece makes a strong case for higher education taking the initiative to prepare young people to thrive in careers.

Main point: “To rebuild America’s trust, colleges must point beyond course catalogs and job placement rates. They need to understand how students actually spend their time in college. And they need to understand what those experiences teach them.”

More about it:

• If you ask someone which part of the college experience contributed to career success, “they’re more likely to mention running the student newspaper, leading a sorority, conducting undergraduate research, serving in student government or joining the debate team.”
• “The vast middle of campus life — clubs, competitions, mentorship, leadership roles, part-time jobs and collaborative projects — is where learning becomes doing.”
• “Career services should serve as an essential safety net for students who didn’t or couldn’t fully engage in campus life, but not as the launchpad we often imagine it to be.”

Why it matters:

• “A degree can open doors, but it won’t define a career. It’s the skills students build, the relationships they form and the challenges they take on along the way to graduation that shape their future.”
• “…colleges bear a grave responsibility here.”
  • “It’s on us to reinforce the idea that learning occurs everywhere on campus, that the most powerful career preparation comes from doing, not just studying.”
  • “It’s also on us to address college affordability, so that students have the time to participate in campus life, and to ensure that on-campus jobs are meaningful learning experiences.”

The writer is spot on. Benefits to young people seeking #Calling and #Career include:

• Expanded professional networks.
• Better communication and interpersonal skills.
• Development of leadership skills.
• Broader set of skills and experience.
• More inputs for determining career path.
• Cultural and social competence.

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