By Wayne D’Orio, Education Dive
Traditional colleges looking to fortify the liberal arts are adopting a practice from workforce-oriented institutions that aligns curriculum and job requirements. “We’re at another turning point,” said Andrea Backman, chief employability officer at Strategic Education. “Education is turning on its head to be skills based.” The Virginia-based educational services company serves adult learners through a handful of education programs, including Strayer University, a for-profit online college. Several trends are combining to push the skill-based movement at traditional schools, experts said. Employers are less inclined to train workers because recent graduates are seen as more likely to change jobs. And with U.S. student debt sitting at $1.6 trillion, students and their families are pushing colleges to give them something more than a degree in an often-broad major to prove their job qualifications. Schools, meanwhile, see this as a way to distinguish themselves from competitors and attract more students.
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