Career Readiness Across the Curriculum

One of CCWT’s newest initiatives is a comprehensive approach to embedding career readiness across a college students’ entire experience. This effort is based on over 15 years of research by CCWT investigators on active learning, skills gaps, workforce skills needs, internships, and institutional change processes in higher education.

This initiative is critically important today because one of the hottest topics in higher education is the value of competencies that are called “soft skills,” “career readiness skills” or “21st century skills,” for students’ success in school, life, and work.  In 2018, Associate Professor of Adult & Higher Education Matthew Hora developed a 7-week online faculty development course that led faculty through the history of the skills discourse and problems with generic notions of how skills like communication, critical thinking, and self-regulated learning are deeply shaped by the professions, race/ethnicity, and gender.  Participants were introduced to the “Skills as Cultural Scripts” approach to embedding these skills into course syllabi, lesson plans, or even in campus-wide strategic plans in a way that models sociocultural and equity-centered theories of learning.  

Check out these articles about Dr. Hora’s online skills course with insights from previous learners particularly from faculty in HBCUs and international universities, and problems with the current skills and career readiness discourse.

CLICK HERE to learn more or register for “Teaching 21st Century Skills in College Courses” through EdX.

For flyers and videos from the Spring 2023 workshop series offered by Dr. Hora on teaching “21st century skills” from a disciplinary and culturally responsive approach, check out the materials below!