21st Century Work Skills: What do Employers Want?BRAD DAVIS-INSTRUCTOR/PROGRAM COORDINATORBUSINESS DEPARTMENT, SRJC

What Employers Want—Research at Federal Level

President George H.W. BushSecretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills(SCANS) 1991

Identified foundation skills and workplace competencies needed by all workers

SCANS Results—Workplace Know-How

1. Resources

2. Interpersonal Skills

3. Information

4. Systems

5. Technology

Competencies Foundation Skills

1. Basic Skills

2. Thinking Skills

3. Personal Qualities

Other Government Reform Efforts

• 1994President Bill

ClintonEducate America

ActGoals 2000 and

School-to-Work

• 2002President George W.

BushNo Child Left

Behind

• 2011President Barack

ObamaRedesign Elementary

and Secondary Education Act

Help states implement college- and career- ready standards

Improve teacher preparation

And now…Community College for free?

Are they really ready to work? (2006)

Consortium: The Conference Board, Corporate

Voices for Working Families, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills and the Society for Human

Resource Management

• Employers’ Perspectives on the Basic Knowledge and Applied Skills of New Entrants to the 21st Century U.S. Workforce

• Surveyed 400 employers across U.S.

21st Century Skills

Basic Knowledge/Skills

• English language (spoken)

• Writing (grammar, spelling, etc.)

• Reading comprehension

• Mathematics

• Science

• Government/Economics

• Humanities/Art

• Foreign Languages

• History/Geography

Applied Skills

• Critical thinking/problem solving*

• Communication*

• Teamwork/collaboration*

• Professionalism/work ethic*

• Diversity

• Info Technology Application

• Leadership

• Creativity/innovation

• Lifelong learning

• Social responsibility*Most Important

Common Sense!

Common Practice.

So What Does It All Mean?

What Employers Want-Sonoma/Bay Area

BUSINESS DEPARTMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE & EMPLOYER PANELS IN BAY

AREA

• COMMUNICATION!

• Teamwork/Collaboration

• “Just Do It”

• Self-Motivated/Governance

• Follow-through

• Value-Added

• Resourceful

• Creativity

• Basic Computer Skills

• Initiative

• Critical Thinking

• Curiosity

“Clean” Social Media Presence

Why Didn’t You Hire Them?• First Impressions—15 seconds• Not Engaging• Weak Handshake

• Not Enthusiastic

• Little Charisma

• Showcasing Skills• Certificates

• Writing/Other Samples

• Image-Dress For Success (Student Business Club Clothes)

Why Didn’t You Hire Them? (Continued)• Lack of Preparation for Interview• Research the Company

• One-Way Dialogue during Interview

• Mismatch for job—focusing on wrong aspect

• Didn’t “Fit”

• Unaware of Group/Panel Interviews

• Unable to back up statements made on résumé

• Phone Etiquette

What can you do?• Practice, practice, practice. Then practice more.

• Mock interviews

• BGN 111/112 courses at SRJC

• Network• Associations

• Clubs

• Volunteer

• Career Center Resources

• #1—Be Open. Be Flexible.

Thank you and best of luck!QUESTIONS?