ERIC Number: EJ1256898
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-May
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1554-754X
EISSN: N/A
Exploring Employer Perspectives of Community College Career and Technical Programs
Gauthier, Thomas
Career and Technical Education Research, v45 n1 p63-76 May 2020
This qualitative study explores the efficacy of community college career and technical education programs through employer perspectives. Participants for this study were cultivated from a variety of industries and disciplines. Predominant themes that emerged from this study include education, authentic experience, the value of career and technical education, workplace social structure, apprenticeship, and aptitude. Employers appear to be ambivalent regarding their perspective of community college career and technical programs. Employers are looking for employees who can be integrated into the workplace social structure easily, and they articulate competencies generally gained after completing a two-year degree program. Participants reported that new employees lack employability skills, a higher order of thinking, metacognition, mature nature of competency, social mobility, motivation, and positive self-efficacy. Therefore, this study concludes that the hiring of community college career and technical graduates is contingent on the applicants' job-related skills and social competency.
Descriptors: Employer Attitudes, Community Colleges, Vocational Education, Program Effectiveness, Apprenticeships, Job Skills, Career Readiness, Employees, Thinking Skills, Metacognition, Competence, Social Mobility, Motivation, Self Efficacy, Interpersonal Competence
Association for Career and Technical Education Research. Web site: http://acteronline.org/publications/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A