As Higher Education Attendance Declines, Will Skills Overtake Degrees?
Key Points:
- The NSCRC’s final 2021 spring report found college enrollment fell 3.5%, losing 600,000 students compared to the year before, the largest drop in enrollment numbers since 2011.
- Universities and community colleges are evolving to highlight the competencies that students develop in addition to the credits they earn.
- To find the best applicants, companies should hire based on skills rather than degrees.
Analysis:
Is a revolution coming to higher education in the near future? College enrollment dropped for the 2021 spring semester to the tune of 600,000 students, marking the largest drop in enrollment numbers since 2011. What impact does this have for how universities and community colleges prepare students for life after college? And how should companies adjust their hiring processes to account for a future where students have studied specific competencies rather than focus on attaining a degree? Guillermo Elizondo joined MarketScale to share his thoughts.