Employer Ratings of Four-Year College Graduates Entering Workforce on Readiness in Certain 鈥淏asic鈥 Skills, 2006
Given the range of occupations and activities performed by college graduates, further research is needed about how humanities study connects to their subsequent work lives. Existing research on the skills that potential employers find desirable is generally imperfect given the range of possible employers and differing job characteristics. The surveys that do exist, however, tend to highlight the value of a range of humanities skills. For instance, although not nationally representative, a 2006 Conference Board survey of 431 employers noted substantial perceived deficiencies in college-educated employees鈥 skills in key areas of humanities learning. These 鈥渂asic skills鈥 included foreign languages, writing in English, and reading comprehension. The responding employers identified the latter two skills as particularly important for successful job performance.1