constructing the bridge between the college majors and the workforce
The rhetoric situation analyzed in the text by Troy Markowitz, constructing the bridge between the college majors and the workforce, is the aspect of teaching and employability of the learners in different careers. According to Troy, there is the ultimate need to nurture the connection between the two but of which remain rhetoric among educators as well as the stakeholders in the education sector notably due to skills detachment between majors and the students’ abilities gained over the learning time in a specific major. This aspect later translates to a widening gap between the students and their career jobs.
Though the statistics of employment are seen to be quite impressive in the report, Troy is quick to ascertain the value of the acquired knowledge in the major studied. According to statistics, less than 2.5% of the college graduates are unemployed compared to higher values of high school dropouts and those that never completed their undergraduate courses. Though a degree in today’s market is a direct vocal transition to employment, there remains a wide gap unfilled as few of the college graduates are working in career fields closely connected to their studied majors. This disconnection, therefore, leads to less aligning of the graduates’ learned skills with the broader business needs within the society. Employment is therefore shown as rhetorical to the studied aspect.
The goal of being highly employable within a student as well as the institution has led many students to select careers to pursue earlier than the majors they will get involved in throughout their college life. According to Troy, this misconception has greatly been fuelled by the misleading truth from the institutions as well as teachers that the learned major is the sole determinant in searching for a fulfilling career later in life. As seen in most cases in the job market, a technology company will not necessarily employ a computer programming major student or an information technology graduate opposite to the perception given by the learning institutions. This misconception is widely rhetoric in the business world currently as prudent employers are in search of certain and specific skills. It should therefore be seen from a different angle that the ability to earn a degree should not outweigh the major studied in school.
The author, Troy, therefore, indicates the common values that are greatly needed in any business that is more critical to the growth and expansion of the business as compared to the knowledge gained in a certain major. For instance, it is more rhetorical to have a computer science degree graduate being of more importance to a business that is trying to achieve other goals. More businesses are therefore inclined towards the outcomes based on customer pool, interest in new products and services, and ways to be calculated for the business to stay ahead in the competition. Specific knowledge, in this case, might not be helpful to any individual hence rendering them less useful despite the gained degree.
Subjects that are rarely taught or given meaningful consideration in college or other learning institutions are the most vital and beneficial skills for graduates. An example includes sales. Though looked down upon by many, sales are an important aspect that is inclusive in almost all careers and hence a skill that is critical in the job market. Being a salesperson is often associated with a low graded job seen as commissioned and this stigma leads to the entire job having a spelled notion hence placing a dark cloud over the possible capabilities within the sector.
In the study of either a technology-related degree or engineering, sales skills are not seen as apparent aspects within the course curriculum but are rather very helpful in searching for a job career as one must be in a good position to sell themselves and their abilities to potential employers, build relationships with internal and external stakeholders within the job as well as having a positive impact on the outcomes of the business an aspect that will be greatly influenced by sales skills. It should, therefore, be highly influenced to the learners of the importance of the small skills on the big skills hence encouraging interdependence of skills as opposed to the current reliance of the super skills syndrome.
The employability of any individual should be noted on the aspect of what the individual can offer to any given organization based on the ability to offer promises given to customers and not on the fact of the studied major. This is an aspect that can only be achieved if all educators insisted on the importance of building a wider bridge that connects graduates and employers while at the same time encouraging the development of soft skills that are critical in the education environment such as sales, negotiations, and relationship-building. The author has therefore given his credentials on the aspect of teaching and employability mainly criticizing the educators as well as the education system on its failures and well intriguing on the recommendations to be castigated by the learners and educators in equal measures. Rhetorism is greatly applied in showing the limited success in the employability of graduates.