Written by Becky Kaiser
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The skill set that parents want their children to learn is much the same as what employers look for in new employees.
Joining these two sets is the Kansas Department of Education, whose mission is to help Kansas students achieve lifelong success through rigorous, high-quality academic instruction, career training, and character development tailored to each student's gifts and talents. to prepare them for success.
“Our vision is for Kansas to lead the world in the success of each student,” said Education Commissioner Randy Watson.
Watson discussed preparing the next generation of the workforce at an April 26 members luncheon hosted by the Hays Chamber of Commerce.
He asked the audience to name the skills and characteristics they want their children to have as they begin their careers, and how those skills relate to Kansas' economic prosperity.
Participants, who represent a variety of Hays employers, demonstrated desirable skills such as resilience, innovation, problem solving, time management, oral communication skills, foreign language learning, responsibility, team players, common sense, and learning from failure. I mentioned it.
“Are the skills you want in your employees pretty similar to the skills you want in young people?'' Watson asked.
As it turns out, yes.
These are also some of the most important skills young people lack, according to the Kansas Chamber of Commerce's 2023 Business Survey.
“Soft skills are what these companies are most concerned about with their employees, at 60%,” he said.
“I would argue that almost all of the skills you just described fall into the soft skills category.”
Watson said he's not sure he likes the term “soft skills,” adding, “It seems to me that those skills, as you're describing them, must be skills that we need to have. , generally those are certainly not things that are measured by achievement tests.”
Other top concerns for employees in the Kansas Chamber of Commerce survey were technical skills, degrees, and passing a drug test.
According to an integrated survey of American companies, the top five skills that new high school graduates seem to lack include: professionalism and work ethics, teamwork, verbal communication, ethics, and critical thinking. It involved thinking.
Similar results were found regardless of whether students held a certification or a two-year or four-year degree.
As defined by the Kansas Department of Education, a successful graduate of a Kansas high school is defined as having “some skill set that can be used in anything beyond secondary school. “They need to undergo remedial education to qualify for a recognized certificate,” Watson said.
“We strive to equip our children with these skill sets: academic readiness, cognitive readiness, technical skills, employability skills, and civic engagement.”
Kansas' job market was studied by the Georgetown Institute for Policy Research, which found that 73% of workers in the state are required to have a certificate or degree beyond higher education.
About 37% of those workers are required to have a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 36% are required to have a certificate or associate's degree.
Kansas varies in these numbers, with a postsecondary success rate of 51%.
The gap is closing, but “we need to get to that 73 percent,” Watson said.
Watson said Kansan residents are demanding higher standards not only in academics but also in employability and citizenship skills, moving away from a “one-size-fits-all” system that relies solely on state assessments. Said it was necessary.
This new educational vision, “Kansans Can,” calls for a more student-centered system that provides support and resources for individual success.
The outcomes by which the Kansas Department of Education measures student success are:
• Social/emotional growth measured regionally.
• Kindergarten Preparation
• Individualized study plan focused on career interests.
• High school graduation rate
• Post-secondary education completion/attendance.
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Watson said he believes there are two major challenges in education today: undesirable student behavior and a lack of educators.