Publication Date
Fall 2020
Advisor(s) - Committee Chair
Kirk Atkinson (Director), Dana Cosby, Kristie Guffey, Iris Phillips
Degree Program
Department of Educational Administration, Leadership, and Research
Degree Type
Doctor of Education
Abstract
This qualitative study explores student skill preparedness for the work force through semi-structured interviews and focus groups with current college students, faculty members, and employers. Responses from study participants were transcribed, coded, and thematically organized into the following four categories of skills that employers seek in recent college graduates: critical thinking skills, resiliency, workplace skills, and discipline specific skills. The findings include participant perceptions of the importance of these skills and whether higher education effectively prepares recent graduates for the workforce. As part of this discussion, design thinking is presented as a bridge between these groups and as a solution for the problem of workforce preparedness of recent graduates.
Disciplines
Higher Education | Human Resources Management | Work, Economy and Organizations
Recommended Citation
Denning-Smith, Johnna, "Design Thinking as a Common Language between Higher Education and Employers" (2020). Dissertations. Paper 193.
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/diss/193
Included in
Higher Education Commons, Human Resources Management Commons, Work, Economy and Organizations Commons