Charting the Skills for the Future: Perspectives From Employers and Higher Education Institutions

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: Exploring Student Learning Experiences

Abstract

Automation is rapidly changing our workforce and the skills required of 21st century workers. As more jobs and tasks will be performed by machines, it’s those that involve human judgement and interaction which are less likely to be replaced. It’s critical for higher education institutions to align with employers in developing, signaling, and documenting skills needed for the modern workforce. This article provides a review of the current skills trend in the workforce, presents findings collected from in-depth interviews with representatives from 41 higher education institutions and 28 employers, and discusses the implications for academic-to-career transitions.

Authors

• Ou Lydia Liu, ETS

• Guangming Ling, ETS

• Daniel Fishtein, Educational Testing Service