Although more employers are increasingly looking beyond traditional degrees to hire best-fit candidates, more than one-third of Generation Z believe hiring managers and companies still favour a university/college education, according to a US survey.
The research, commissioned by American Student Assistance (ASA) and Jobs for the Future (JFF), and conducted by Morning Consult, revealed that even though most employers (72%) don’t see a degree as a reliable signal for assessing the skills of a candidate, the majority (52%) still hire from degree programmes because they believe it is a less risky choice when hiring. Gen Z students are also still defaulting to degree programmes because many (37%) believe employers favour them.
NON-DEGREE PATHWAYS
That said, the survey entitled “Degrees of Risk: What Gen Z and Employers Think About Education-to-Career Pathways…and How Those Views are Changing,” found that both students and employers say that non-degree pathways can be high-quality learning opportunities. For example, 81% of employers agree organisations should hire based on skills rather than degrees. Additionally, 58% of Gen Z students agree companies should hire more high school graduates who have pursued non-degree pathways.
Although both groups believe it’s time to think beyond the university/college degree, factors like risk aversion and lack of information stand in the way. Gen Z and employers agree that they need more information to better understand the full range of options and their quality, including non-traditional degrees and other credentials.
SKILLS-BASED HIRING
Other key findings from the study revealed that:
- Skills-based hiring gains traction. Both employers and Gen Z rank skills as the most important consideration in choosing an education or training programme. Three-quarters (74%) of Gen Z want to earn skills that will lead to a good job and 81% of employers believe they should look at skills rather than degrees when hiring. More than two-thirds (68%) of employers say they want to hire from non-degree pathways.
- Fear of the unknown. As a result, Gen Z fear there is too much risk associated with choosing the wrong non-degree post secondary path (65%). And 80% of employers want more information on how non-degree paths differ.
ALTERNATIVE LEARNING ROUTES
“The four-year college degree is clearly not the only path to success. Encouraging students to pursue that route without considering all their options is outdated and is increasingly out of step with the demands of a new generation of young people hungry for skills, opportunities, and a career journey that offers financial freedom on their own terms,” stated Jean Eddy, President and CEO of ASA. “That’s why ASA is collaborating with JFF on this important initiative to increase awareness, understanding, and acceptance of non-degree learning opportunities.”
While both groups also agree that proof of skills should be prioritised over degrees, the survey found a gap between understanding the options and willingness to participate in or take action on non-degree options. Gen Z teens and employers are both apprehensive about making the wrong choice, either in the pathway they pursue or candidates they hire, noted the study. They don’t understand the options for non-degree credentials and the value they provide, and believe the risk is too great to diverge from the known entity of a degree.
FLEXIBLE PATHWAYS
“This research underscores that despite shifting attitudes about college–declining enrolment, a desire for more flexible pathways and a trend toward skill-based hiring, there is still difficult and important work ahead to ensure that students understand the full breadth of options available to them, and employers can have the confidence to hire workers without a college degree,” said Maria Flynn, President and CEO of JFF.
The research offers recommendations for the way forward to increase high-quality post-secondary options for all learners. In addition to the report, a landscape of non-degree pathways and a survey of policymakers and politicians on their perceptions of these non-traditional paths, will be published later this year as part of this research.
JFF and ASA said they will continue to build a coalition of support for widespread acceptance of quality education-to-career pathways. This will include supporting existing pathway programmes and spurring innovation to create new models, working to ensure there is a strong quality-assurance infrastructure, and fostering strong career navigation supports. By connecting ideas, convening partners and uplifting solutions, it hopes to enable more young people to be well-positioned to make informed, confident choices to achieve success in their chosen career fields, which will ultimately lead to more equitable economic advancement for all. Click here to download the report.
Gen Z highly prioritises wellbeing; and are not prepared to give up their work-life balance to enter the rat race. Click here to read more.
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