Colleges need to fundamentally rethink how they prepare students for careers by integrating purpose-driven guidance from enrollment through graduation, according to a new report released by Complete College America.
Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva
“We were finding that institutions were really siloing, preparing for the workforce or post baccalaureate experiences, leaving that to like, the quote unquote senior year or the final phase before you leave, almost as if that was a part of the exit interview for college as opposed to really making that a part of the onboarding and winding it into the experience throughout,” said Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva, president of Complete College America.
The report highlights troubling statistics about the disconnect between college education and career outcomes. According to Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce, nearly 28% of middle-skill credentials don't align with any available jobs. The Strada Education Foundation found that more than one-third of associate degree holders don't recoup their investment within 10 years.
Watson Spiva said that career preparation shouldn't be relegated to a single moment in a student's journey.
“We don't believe it should be a one and done either at the back end or the front end. It really should be a part of the process and the concept of finding your purpose should be a partnership between what you're experiencing at the secondary level with your school counselors, to what you experience on the campus once you get to college.”
The "Purpose First 2.0" strategy represents an evolution of Complete College America's original 2019 approach. While the initial framework focused primarily on admissions and first-year experiences, the updated version extends career guidance throughout a student's entire academic journey.
