Author : Jenna M. Meehan-Klaus
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 114 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (17 download)
Book Synopsis Experiential Learning and Workforce Preparedness of Community College Students by : Jenna M. Meehan-Klaus
Download or read book Experiential Learning and Workforce Preparedness of Community College Students written by Jenna M. Meehan-Klaus and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A vast body of research exists on experiential learning and workforce preparedness of students at the high school level; however, there is a limited focus on the community college sector. Administrators, who recognize the need for studies that address the potential benefit experiential learning can provide students at two-year institutions, will gain insight from the employer and alumni respondents' perceptions of workforce preparedness. The purpose of the study was to understand how employed community colleges graduates who did or did not participate in internships while in college, and their current employers, perceived the extent of their workplace preparedness. Guided by Andrew and Brown’s social constructivist framework, which links the knowledge one obtains through social interactions, language and cultural experiences, the research focused on the learning one does and does not obtain through experiential learning experiences to prepare for the workforce. The explanatory case study design used semistructured interviews with seven community college alumni, as well as open-ended questionnaires sent to their current employers to follow up on employer perceptions about experiential learning and workforce preparedness. The results indicated a difference in the skill development strengths of those with experiential learning versus those without experiential learning. Pathways towards employability are influenced by the evolving trends in the job market. Due to the fact that experiential learning commonly comes out of career services, career services professionals can use employer and graduate perceptions of internships to shape the resources provided for students entering the workforce.