What is a career readiness program, and why is it important in higher education?

It isn’t easy to land a proper job straight out of college or higher education. Although, most times, this can be attributed to the unemployment rate and the economic state of a country or a state. But it can also be because the candidate does not have the required skills to compete well for the available job. 

Over the time, it has been proven that a person needs much more than just academic excellence to thrive in the labor market. There are some soft and hard skills someone must have to thrive in their specific career field. These are what employers look out for when seeking to employ candidates. Hence, the need for a career readiness program is felt time and again. 

Students must be equipped with these skills during their higher education program because it helps them become better employees after school. Therefore, it should be a vital part of their learning and skill-building. This article talks about what is a career readiness program and why it is extremely important in higher education.

What is a career readiness program?

A career readiness program is created for higher education students to equip them with the skills required to find, acquire, keep, grow, and sustain a job in their chosen career fields. This program is very important for every student because it assists them in overcoming real-world issues. Therefore, it should contain necessary soft skills regardless of education or experience. It gives students the tools they need to succeed in the workplace.

This program involves preparing a student for life outside school, which better informs their career decision-making processes. It should help them navigate their way to the labor market and irrespective their field. At the end of this program, the students should undergo a career assessment test.

This career assessment test would help teachers determine where students stand in terms of professional readiness. This assessment test will enable students to recognise their career strengths and weaknesses and help them work on them appropriately. After which, they can make informed decisions when considering their career options.

Skills that should be taught in a career readiness program 

The skills that should be taught in a career readiness program are mostly soft. They include:

Written and oral communication skills

• Financial literacy
• Emotional intelligence
• Proper time management
• Team playing skills
• Leadership skills
• Critical thinking
• Creativity
• Adaptability
• Problem-solving skills

Why is a career readiness program extremely important in higher Ed?

A career readiness program is extremely important in higher education because of the following points. It helps a student; 

Identify their potential and match them appropriately with their career choices

Choosing a career path can be daunting, especially for students still in school. This is because most of these students have not been able to identify their potential, strengths, and weaknesses, and what they enjoy doing. A career readiness program will help a child identify their potential and then help them find the right career path that these potentials fit perfectly. With this, the student can know which industry they can function the best in and the skills they need to have or develop to get a job in that field. They will also be able to compete better in the labor market since they have acquired the skills, they need to thrive in it. 

Build capacity for the future they want for themselves

There is a saying that people should build capacity in their waiting season for the future they desire. This is what a career readiness program is all about, and it is helping students build capacity for the career they want while still waiting to get it. They can hone their talents and move forward with more confidence in the future. 

Help them improve their written and communication skills

Irrespective of how skilled a person is, securing a job becomes difficult if they cannot communicate their skills effectively to an employer or a recruiter. A career readiness program will help students express themselves better, listen attentively, and write clearly.

Be better leaders in their fields

When students are equipped with all they need to be the best, they become the best in their careers. They become thought leaders because they have been equipped with leadership skills in their higher education. They get to practice what they have been taught effectively on the job, and it becomes easy to climb the ladder of success in their careers. This, in turn, creates a more productive workforce where workers easily adapt to changes in technology and workplace systems as they evolve.