1. HART
RESEARCH
P e t e r D A S O T E C I
How Should Colleges Prepare Students To Succeed In Today’s Global Economy?
Key findings from survey among 305 business leaders and 510 recent college graduates conducted November 2 – December 5, 2006 for

2. Methodology
Employers: 305 executives at companies that have at least 25 employees, who report that 25% or more of their new hires hold at least a bachelor’s degree from a four-year college, conducted November 2 – December 5, 2006, margin of error = ±5.7 percentage points
Recent College Graduates: 510 people who graduated from a four-year college between and 2001, conducted November 13 – 19, 2006, margin of error = ±4.4 percentage points

3. % of employers who say colleges play a very important role
Employers On Importance Of College Education To Business And The Country
% of employers who say colleges play a very important role
Ensuring U.S. ability to compete in the global economy
Ensuring my company’s ability to compete successfully
Ensuring U.S. companies’ ability to develop innovative new products and services
* 76% believe innovation is a very important factor in the growth and strength of the U.S. economy.

4. Employers Express Concern About Skill Level Of College Graduates
63% of employers agree that “too many recent college graduates do not have the skills to be successful in today’s global economy.”

5. Room For Improvement In College Graduates’ Preparedness
How well has college education prepared recent graduates in each area?
Recent Graduates
Employers
Extremely/very well
Somewhat/less well
Getting good entry level job
Long-term career success
Broad skills/knowledge to change career
Success in changing global economy
Success in entry level job
Advancement in my company
Contribute to company’s innovations

6. Balance of Broad Knowledge And Specific Skills Preferred
Which of the following should be the main objective for our nation’s colleges and universities?
Focusing primarily on providing well-rounded education
Focusing primarily on providing knowledge and skills in a specific field
Focusing on providing a balance of both
Depends/not sure

7. Half Of Employed Recent Grads Expect To Always Work In Current Field
Employed Recent Graduates (80% of all recent grads)
Expect my job/career will always be in the field in which I currently work
Expect I will change to another field at some point in my career
Not sure
Three in four graduates who expect to remain in their current field (75%), as well as their colleagues who expect to change fields (73%), think a college education should provide a balance of a well-rounded education with knowledge/skills in a specific field.

8. Employers: Top Priorities For Increased Emphasis By Colleges
% saying colleges should put more emphasis on each learning outcome
Science and technology developments
Teamwork skills in diverse settings
Applied knowledge in real-world settings
Written/oral communication
Critical/analytical thinking
Global issues
Information literacy
Creativity/innovation

9. Employers: Other Areas In Need Of More Emphasis By Colleges
% saying colleges should put more emphasis on each learning outcome
Complex problem solving
U.S. role in the world
Quantitative literacy
Ethics and integrity
Cultural values/traditions
Civic engagement
Foreign language skill
Democracy/government

10. Recent Graduates: Top Priorities For Increased Emphasis By Colleges
% saying colleges should put more emphasis on each learning outcome
Applied knowledge in real-world settings
Science and technology developments
Global issues
Critical/analytical thinking
Written/oral communication
Creativity/innovation
Ethics and integrity
Foreign language skill

11. Recent Graduates: Other Areas In Need Of More Emphasis By Colleges
% saying colleges should put more emphasis on each learning outcome
Complex problem solving
Information literacy
Teamwork skills in diverse settings
Cultural values/traditions
Civic engagement
Democracy/government
U.S. role in the world
Quantitative literacy

12. Most Important Skills Employers Look For In New Hires
Which TWO skills/abilities are most important to you?
Recent graduates*
Employers
Teamwork skills
Critical thinking/ reasoning
Oral/written communication
Ability to assemble/ organize information
Innovative/thinking creatively
Able to work with numbers/statistics
Foreign language proficiency
38%
37%
10%
21% 4% 6%
* Which two skills/abilities are most important to employers?

13. Real-World Application Of Knowledge And Skills Is Seen As Critical
Employers:
“They [students] learn the book knowledge: it’s all theory; it’s not actual practice, and I do believe we need more practice.” Atlanta business executive
“I think internships do an amazing job in terms of educating people versus your day-to-day everyday sitting in a class learning from a book.” Fairfax business executive
Recent graduates:
60% of graduates engaged in an internship.
88% rate it as very (56%) or fairly (32%) important in preparing them for their professional and career goals.
51% of graduates engaged in leadership of an on-campus student organization.
79% rate it as very (42%) or fairly (37%) important in preparing them for their professional and career goals.

14. Educational Approach Assessment
How important is it for today’s colleges and universities to provide the type of education described below?
This particular approach to a four- year college education provides both broad knowledge in a variety of areas of study and more in-depth knowledge in a specific major or field of interest. It also helps students develop a sense of social responsibility, as well as intellectual and practical skills that span all areas of study, such as communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills, and a demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-world settings.
Employers
Not sure
Less/not important
Very important
Fairly important
* 76% of employers would recommend this type of education to a young person they know.

15. Educational Approach Assessment
How important is it for today’s colleges and universities to provide the type of education described below?
This particular approach to a four- year college education provides both broad knowledge in a variety of areas of study and more in-depth knowledge in a specific major or field of interest. It also helps students develop a sense of social responsibility, as well as intellectual and practical skills that span all areas of study, such as communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills, and a demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-world settings.
Recent Graduates
Not sure
Less/not important
Very important
Fairly important