Wheels Up, Flaps Down, Let's Fly: 21st Century Skills to help students take flight

Skills that graduates need when entering the workforce are constantly changing. Recent research predicts that creativity, critical thinking, visual communication, and observation, among other skills, will be vital for graduates entering the workforce in 2020. In fact, the US Department of Labor predicts that 65% of school kids will end up in jobs that have not yet been invented. This rapid change in job skills is being seen across all industries, not just engineering. Often hiring managers see the lack of these skillsets as the graduates’’ fault, but faculty has the power to help position students so that they can make an impact on a rapidly changing industry. Faculty can actively evaluate and iterate curriculum to ensure that students are prepared to enter the workforce after graduation.

Erica Walker, Clemson University
John DesJardins, Clemson University
Breanne Przestrzelski, Clemson University

Track: Curriculum