| The United States faces a shortage of well-qualified, technically skilled individuals entering manufacturing and energy production fields. Compounding this shortage, employers want graduates to possess technical knowledge foundational for these highly-skilled positions, as well as less tangible 21st century work skills. Technical colleges are charged with developing a workforce able to meet current and future employment needs. Colleges need a comprehensive framework for facilitating the internalization of 21st century work skills. The current research explores student attitudes toward learning 21st century work skills. The findings indicate students' awareness that they need to exhibit effective written and oral communication, a strong work ethic, a good attitude, the ability to work well with others, collaboration, and problem solving. The research participants believe that parents, work experience (especially work-based learning), interactions with the college career center, sports, and church impacted their understanding of 21st century work skills. Furthermore, learning in class and labs helped grow these skills. The most influential 21st century skill development experience in their formal education has been the required Employability Skills Class. Research participants reflected on their strengths and weaknesses regarding individual skill development and articulated a desire to have more opportunities to work hands-on solving real-world problems, believing that both technical and soft skills would improve. Colleges must nurture and leverage partnerships with business and industry to create more work-based learning opportunities. The focus of colleges should shift from traditional teaching to a learning environment in which knowledge acquisition is a facilitated student-instructor partnership guided by the needs of business and industry. |
