How 1 Solution Can Fix Failing University Systems And Help Students Succeed

Every university president wants to to see their graduates move on to fulfilling careers.

But in order for students to do that, they need to have better exposure to the professional world while they’re still in school.

Right now, most universities give their students access to alumni networks and career fairs. But neither of those options provide students with a strong connection to the private sector.

Alumni networks are generally poorly managed, and there’s usually a disconnect between the current students and the alumni.

Most students don’t know how or when to reach out to alumni, and the university doesn’t facilitate that process.

The career fair experience is even worse exposure.

Standing in line to hand someone a skimpy resume isn’t a successful strategy for the vast majority of students.

Instead of relying on these uninspiring options, universities should be partnering with the private sector to make sure their students have the skill sets and connections they need to get a job after graduation.

Let me explain why:

So much of what students learn at a university comes out of the Ivory Tower.

It’s about learning theory — about learning for the sake of learning.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with that. But most students who spend four years in college have the expectation that their degree will help them get a job. Currently, far too many colleges and universities are not fulfilling those expectations.

Even software engineers come out of college without all of the skills they need to work as a software engineer.

I’ve seen graduates that didn’t know the concept of version control, which is essential as a software engineer. And that’s in Computer Science, one of the most practical majors.

When students spend tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars on an education and graduate unprepared, it’s a problem.

New graduates are entering the professional world.

The companies they’re applying to know what skill sets and knowledge the students need to succeed — in many cases better than the universities do.

If universities and companies formed partnerships, everyone would win.

For companies, partnering with universities would simply be a way to improve their exposure to students and make recruiting simpler. They’d have a better way to market themselves to talented students on campus.

Students in turn could get credit from their school for working with the companies — along with real-world experience contributing to projects, volunteering, and getting small-group coaching.

These are the types of experiences employers want to see on a resume.

The universities themselves would benefit from additional funding from the private sector. And corporate partnerships would also help attract talented and ambitious students to campus.

So, if it benefits students, why don’t more universities partner with businesses and give their students more opportunities in the real world?

Part of the problem is that universities conduct huge amounts of research in addition to teaching the leaders of tomorrow.

Students are seen as a form of cheap labor to perform research and publish papers.

I helped with research projects when I was a student at MIT, and I can tell you, much of what is published will never be read by anyone.

But the bigger issue is that at the end of their time working in academia, the students don’t have practical skill sets for engaging with people, working in a lab, or solving real problems.

I know that universities want to be seen as independent. I know they don’t want people to think these companies have influence over the school.

But honestly, as far as influence goes, it may be a good thing that the private sector has some influence in university programs.

Students are supposed to be learning practical skills they can use to land a job. Making sure they get the right experience, giving them the opportunity to work on professionally-driven projects — that’s what’s going to get them a job after graduation.

Not all universities are lagging behind in getting their students work experience.

For example, Northeastern University has a co-op program that alternates classroom work with six months of full-time work in a field related to each student’s career goals.

That’s practical, applicable work students can feel good putting on their resumes.

There are also a growing number of colleges across the country teaming up with coding bootcamps to offer classes or college credit for students who go through the bootcamps.

I think that’s an excellent step in the right direction, and I’m looking forward to seeing more universities realize that private sector partnerships only help their students.

After all, it’s the students whose futures are on the line here. They deserve more than career fairs and the email addresses of a few alumni.

Matt Wilkerson is the Co-Founder and CEO of Paragon One, a career advisory network that has helped hundreds of students and recent graduates land competitive jobs and internships.

For business and career advice, follow him on Twitter and Quora.