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Weekly News Digest

June 3, 2021 — In addition to this week's NewsBreaks article and the monthly NewsLink Spotlight, Information Today, Inc. (ITI) offers Weekly News Digests that feature recent product news and company announcements. Watch for additional coverage to appear in the next print issue of Information Today. CLICK HERE to view more Weekly News Digest items.

Cengage Looks at the Experiences of Recent College Graduates

“As more students question the value of a degree, colleges, universities and the partners that support these institutions, need to invest as much in job-ready skills, such as effective communication and people management, as they do traditional academics,” says Michael Hansen, Cengage’s CEO. “There is an opportunity to evolve the current systems of higher education and integrate career preparation, certification(s) and internships into course curricula.” In addition, he says, “A traditional degree path is not a reality for many Americans and four-year degree requirements can penalize applicants who follow untraditional education paths. By prioritizing skills not just degrees, business leaders have an opportunity to remove existing barriers, helping to close labor shortages and boost our economic recovery.”

Findings include the following:

• Half of graduates (50 percent) didn’t apply to entry-level jobs because they felt underqualified
• One in five (21 percent) say their college didn’t provide them with needed job skills; nearly two in five (38 percent) occasionally or rarely use the skills they learned
• Nearly half of graduates don’t believe their education was worth what they paid, and one in three don’t believe their education helped them land their job

For more information, read the press release.