Why Education Is Everyone’s Business教育是大家的事儿

格雷戈里·克劳福德 王勣

In 1967， more than 85% of students said their college education was important for “developing a meaningful philosophy of life，” according to a report by the Higher Education Research Institute. That number dropped below 40% in 2003， while “being very well off financially” soared. According to the Career Leadership Collectives 2020 National Alumni Career Mobility Survey， the top motivations to pursue a bachelors degree were “career success，” “financial gain” and “career aspiration requirement.” Aspiring college students and their families are looking for career success as a return on their investment.

In my experience and observation as the president of a university， current students generally reject the dichotomy of meaningful lives versus financial success. They seek connection and integration of work and life， just as many companies have adopted a triple bottom line that considers people and the planet alongside financial success.

I believe most students career goals and aspirations are congruent with higher educations historic mission to empower reflective， productive， liberated individuals who positively elevate others. But this approach calls for extensive collaboration with the business community that not only understands its workforce needs but also benefits most from graduates equipped to be effective contributors immediately. I describe the steps of this process as explore， prepare and connect. Business participation is vital at every stage.

Explore

From day one of their college exper-ience， students should pursue structured opportunities to learn about various careers and global workforce needs while they consider their skills， abilities， interests and passions. This exploration aims to identify options where careers align with personal ambitions and fields that will help guide the students major， minor， elective courses and other choices during college. Successful exploration includes the elimination of some options as the student learns more about themselves and careers. The critical thinking skills required for such deliberation and decision-making are part of the educational experience—habits that will ele-vate their lives， including their career.

To help， universities can provide students with career assessment instruments and employment outlook resources designed for interest-career matching. Students should engage career advisors and mentors early and often， in addition to their academic advisors， rather than waiting until their junior or senior year after they have declared a major （a common trend Ive observed in the past）. Universities can also connect students with alumni in considered fields to discuss their careers and help students explore options and opportunities.

Business leaders can welcome students conducting such exploration and offer conversations about career and job-shadowing1 opportunities where the student can witness the work in real life and real-time.

Prepare

Students must prepare to engage the workplace—no matter what career they wish to pursue—to present themselves effectively to potential employers and in their specific field by mastering the knowledge， skills and broader qualifications for a career.

In the past， I found preparation often meant acquiring a fixed set of information and technical capabilities that could be the foundation of success from ones first job to retirement. In a far more dynamic world and workplace， accelerated by the lessons of a global pandemic， I believe preparation includes intangible mindsets and habits， such as openness， optimism， empathy， teamwork and the agility to pivot from failure to success. Universities should strive to shape a certain kind of person， not just a certain skillset： someone who is empowered to succeed in life and career.

To help students engage the workplace more practically， universities can assist students on how to develop a professional résumé， prepare cover letters and create an effective social media presence and personal brand. Universities can also establish co-curricular certifications to help students upskill beyond their academic majors. This could include business acumen2， design thinking， innovation and creativity certificates， for example， that may benefit all students and， in particular， those in non-business majors.

Businesses can help students prepare with activities like mock interviews that include non-obvious or challenging questions conducted by seasoned recruiters. Organizations can also share insights on the best approach to their particular industry. Looking for an internship or job in accounting， for example， is different from looking for a position in education.

Connect

The past view that the diploma is the ticket to a persons first job might no longer be accurate today. From my perspective， the value of networking goes beyond the cynical， “Its not what you know; its who you know.” Instead， I believe its more a matter of who knows the student than whom the student knows. This personal component highlights the fact that modern success requires more than interchangeable quantified skillsets. Far from a cog in the machine3， an employee is paid to think， problem-solve， devise effective processes and work well in teams with diverse backgrounds and expertise. Higher education can help instill the cultural competency， entrepreneurial initiative， innovation， empathy and collegiality that make life and work more meaningful and career accomplishments more satisfying.

Universities can foster this kind of connection by hosting career fairs and organizing internships， research experiences and other hands-on activ-ities in real-world settings. They can partner with companies for projects that have an immediate impact where both students and faculty can keep up with emerging areas. They can bring business leaders into the classroom for informal networking events to share their experiences and wisdom.

Businesses are vital collaborators for this level of students development. Leaders can find creative ways to expand engagement as well. In addition to C-suite executives for campus visits and recruiters for career fairs， company researchers can be involved in classroom projects， and company managers can oversee internships.

The world and the workplace look very different than they did in the past—and they will continue to change. Universities must adapt in order to thrive in this dynamic environment， and close engagement with businesses is essential for success. A college campus is no longer an isolated place where students spend four years before they are handed off to the workforce. Career exploration， preparation and connection are necessary for students， universities， businesses and societies to flourish at their fullest potential， personally and professionally.

1967年，根据高等教育研究所的一份报告，超过85%的学生表示，他们的大学教育对“形成有意义的人生观”很重要。2003年，这一数字下降到40%以下，而认为大学教育实现“经济富足”的人数却猛增。职业领导力集团“2020年全国校友职业流动性调查”显示，攻读学士学位的三大动机是“职业成功”“经济收益”和“职业抱负需求”。有抱负的大学生寻求事业成功，他们的家人也希望教育投资获得回报。

根据我作為一所大学校长的经验和观察，现在的学生往往拒绝将有意义的生活和经济上的成功一分为二。他们追求工作和生活的密不可分，就如同许多公司采用了三重底线原则，将财务目标与人类和地球的福祉放在一起考虑。

我相信，大多数学生的职业目标和抱负与高等教育的历史使命是一致的，即赋能于善于反思、卓有成就的自由个体，而这些个体积极帮助他人提升。但这种教育模式需要与商界开展广泛的合作，商界不仅了解它的劳动力需求，也从那些能够立即成为有效劳动力的毕业生身上受益最大。我将这一过程描述为职业探索、职业准备和建立关系。这一过程中每一个阶段，企业的参与都至关重要。

职业探索

从大学生活的第一天起，学生就应该结合自己的技能、能力、兴趣和爱好，积极参与学校安排的实习项目，来了解各种职业和全球劳动力的需求。这一探索旨在确定职业选择和专业领域，职业的确定要与个人抱负一致，专业的确定则有助于指导学生在大学期间主修、辅修、选修等各项学习内容。成功的探索包括学生对自己和自身职业有了更多的了解之后，放弃一些选择。这种深思熟虑和做出决策所需要的思辨技能是教育体验的一部分，这将提升他们的生活质量，包括职业生涯。

大学可以为学生提供职业评估工具和就业前景资源，这些工具和资源是为匹配兴趣和职业而设计的。学生们除了向学业导师请教之外，应尽早且经常向职业顾问和导师咨询，而不是等到大学三年级或四年级选择专业以后再这样做（这是我过去观察到的一种常见趋势）。大学还可以帮助学生与就业意向领域里的校友建立联系，讨论职业生涯规划，帮助学生探求各种选择和机会。

商界领袖会欢迎进行这种职业探索的学生，并能够提供职业和见习机会的交流，让学生在现实生活中实时体验工作。

职业准备

学生们必须为工作做好准备——无论他们希望从事什么职业——通过掌握职业知识和职业技能，获取更多样的职业资格，向特定领域的潜在雇主有效展示自我。

在过去，我发现职业准备往往意味着掌握一套固定的信息和技能，这可能是一个人从第一份工作到退休获得成功的基础。世界日新月异，职场风云变幻，而全球大流行病加速了这些变化;我相信，职业准备包括无形的心态和习惯，比如开放、乐观、同理心、团队合作，以及从失败转向成功的灵活性。大学应该努力塑造一种特定的人，使他们有能力在生活和事业上取得成功，而不仅仅是培训某些技能。

为了帮助学生更有效地进入职场，大学可以指导学生撰写求职简历，准备求职信，创建有效的社交媒体形象和个人品牌。大学还可以推出辅助课程认证，帮助学生提高专业以外的技能，例如商业头脑、设计思维、创新和创造力方面的认证，这些证书可能会让所有学生受益，特别是那些非商业专业的学生。

企业可以帮助学生准备模拟面试等活动，由经验丰富的招聘者提出有深度或具挑战性的问题。相关组织还可以分享进入其特定行业最佳办法的见解。例如，寻找会计行业的实习或工作与寻找教育领域的职位是不同的。

建立关系

过去认为文凭是一个人第一份工作的敲门砖，现在看来，这一观点可能不再正确。在我看来，人脉的价值超越了这一玩世不恭的论调：“重要的不是你知道什么，而是你认识谁。”相反地，我认为重点在于谁认识这个学生，而不是这个学生认识谁。个人的因素凸显了这样一个事实，即现代成功需要的不仅仅是可互换的量化技能组合。员工绝不是无足輕重的人，而是被支付薪水去思考、解决问题、设计有效的流程，并在具有不同背景和专业知识的团队中很好地工作。高等教育有助于培养文化能力、创业主动性、创新精神、同理心和合作精神，从而让生活和工作更加有意义，使职业成就更令人满意。

大学可以通过举办招聘会，组织实习、调研和其他实践活动来培养这种产学研关系。它们可以与公司合作，开展效果立竿见影的项目，让学生和教职员工都能跟上新兴领域的步伐。它们可以邀请商业领袖走进教室，参加非正式的社交活动，分享他们的经验和智慧。

对于学生在这个层次上的发展，企业是大学至关重要的合作者。领导者也可以找到富有创意的办法来加强学生实习的参与度。除了校园访问的企业高管和招聘会的招聘人员外，公司研究人员还可以参与课堂研究项目，公司经理可以监督实习。

如今的世界和职场看上去与过去大不相同了——它们会继续改变。大学必须适应，才能在这个不断变化的环境中茁壮成长，而与企业的密切联系是成功的关键。大学校园不再是学生被送入职场前与世隔绝四年的孤岛。就个人和职业发展来看，职业探索、职业准备和建立关系对于学生、大学、企业和社会发挥最大潜力是必不可少的。

1 job-shadowing影子实习，指新手跟着有经验的员工观察、学习一段时间，了解如何完成工作中的各项具体任务。

2 business acumen商业头脑。

3 a cog in the machine（大机构中的）小职员;不可或缺但无足轻重的人，小人物。