Closing the Gap Between Students' Career Readiness and Employers' Expectations

Abstract

This article describes one aspect of Florida International University's (FIU) response to the changing landscape of higher education and the ever-evolving world of work. The following case study highlights how strategic planning grounded in comprehensive planning and evaluation processes led to the development of an innovative and agile quality enhancement plan that aims to enhance students' preparation for the 21st-century workforce by certifying students' attainment of critical competencies related to artificial intelligence, data interpretation, and emotional intelligence. Utilizing a faculty-driven approach, FIU was successful in leveraging a required institutional effectiveness accreditation process to develop and implement a university-wide strategic initiative that focuses on student learning outcomes that close the gap between students' career readiness and employers' expectations.