Exploring Employer Perspectives of Community College Career and Technical Programs

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the efficacy of community college career and technical education programs through employer perspectives. Participants for this study were cultivated from a variety of industries and disciplines. Predominant themes that emerged from this study include education, authentic experience, the value of career and technical education, workplace social structure, apprenticeship, and aptitude. Employers appear to be ambivalent regarding their perspective of community college career and technical programs. Employers are looking for employees who can be integrated into the workplace social structure easily, and they articulate competencies generally gained after completing a two-year degree program. Participants reported that new employees lack employability skills, a higher order of thinking, metacognition, mature nature of competency, social mobility, motivation, and positive self-efficacy. Therefore, this study concludes that the hiring of community college career and technical graduates is contingent on the applicants' job-related skills and social competency.