Comparative Analysis of Skills Employers Are Looking for In New Graduates: Perceptions of Alumni, Employers, Academics, and Students

Curricular redesign is a major priority for universities across the US. This research is a cross-institutional survey, with 29 participating institutions, focusing on the question,” What soft skills are employers looking for in new graduates?”, using multiple perspectives (alumni, employers, academics and students) in agriculture and related fields.  The survey is based on the review of nearly 80 employability skill articles and pervious surveys by government (i.e., US Department of Labor), non-profit, and industry-affiliated organizations for the US, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia, which were examined to understand existing information of what employers are looking for and key skills for competitive employment. Forty-nine soft skills were identified and organized with a cluster analysis process. Cluster analysis was used to create seven primary categories of skill sets which each contain up to seven elements to be rank ordered from most to least important: Experience, Team Skills, Communication Skills, Leadership Skills, Decision Making/Problem Solving Skills, Self-Management Skills, and Professionalism Skills. Findings will compare and contrast perceptions, identify misconceptions and propose key areas for consideration in curriculum development. Analysis includes cross-tabulations, correlations, and ANOVA for disciplinary groupings and stakeholder groups. Inclusion of employers will aid the dialogue between universities/colleges with their respective industry stakeholders.