Recent surveys, one from the National Association of Colleges and Employers and the other from Michigan State University, project double digit growth in employer hiring of recent college grads for 2011. This comes as positive news for students graduating this year or two to three years from now. But what does this mean for college grads who hit the job market during the great recession?
"Some employers clearly will discriminate against those who have white spaces on their resume. So, they will say, 'Why didn't Joe or Sally have a job between 2008 and 2011?' forgetting that we have had this horrible recession," says Carl Van Horn of the Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University.
Last month NewsHour Correspondent Paul Solman looked at the tough job market for recent college graduates. One of which was A.L, who graduated with a liberal arts degree and now wishes she would have studied something more practical, like pre-med. It's an interesting confession as voice-generated animations mocking liberal-arts degrees are spawning up across the Internet. Still, it doesn't seem to matter whether or not you have a degree in English or one in engineering, the job market is tough for recent college graduates no matter what. Yet with the release of these new surveys there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel.
To watch Solman's last report on college graduates and the job market click here .
Quotes
"If I known that I was going to be graduating into this kind of economy, I probably would have pursued something a little more practical, possibly pre-med." --Abigail Lunetta, liberal arts graduate
"The educational system that we have in this country, is the best in the world…yet it's somewhat based on a 17th century model, which is the liberal arts, and trying to develop a broad-minded, or a well-thinking individual. Whether that is what we need in a global economy, is a big question." --Richard White, career services Rutgers University.
Warm Up Questions
1. Why do people go to college?
2. What is a liberal arts degree?
3. Name a few jobs that require a college degree?
Discussion Questions
1. What are some of the benefits of receiving a college degree?
2. Why do you suppose some people are questioning the validity of a liberal arts degree?
3. How does a degree in philosophy compare to a degree in engineering? Does one degree make you more competitive in the job market? Why or why not?
Additional Resources
Dog-Walkers to Dominatrices: Many College Grads Face 'Malemployment'
Program Aims to Increase Number of Minority College Graduates
