NEWS | February 2010 - all articles

This page includes all articles in the February issue of NEWS. Return to summary or go to the NEWS archive.

Employers desire specific and broad knowledge in employees
Council adopts policy agenda as State Grant program forecast worsens
Preparing students for high demand professions
Fact you can use
Campus news
Briefs

Employers desire specific and broad knowledge in employees

A new survey shows that in the wake of the economic downturn, employers are looking for employees to have a wider set of skills and higher levels of learning than in the past. The survey conducted by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) found that the majority of employers believe that both broad and major-specific knowledge and skills are needed for career success.

Employers see benefit in an education that helps students acquire both types of knowledge, apply their college learning in real world settings and develop their research and analysis abilities, according to the new research. And 28% of employers also expect to place greater emphasis on hiring four-year college graduates.

HR representatives at a Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Grow Minnesota! event, sharing their perspectives on how the recession has changed the job market: (from left) Simon Foster, SpencerStuart; Sue Metcalf, Ecolab and Jan Erickson, Medtronic.

Helping students gain broad knowledge, develop critical thinking skills and have real- world experiences are hallmarks of students’ experience at the small, liberal arts colleges and universities that make up Minnesota's Private Colleges. For this story, we talked with business leaders from Medtronic — the Minneapolis-based, Fortune 500 medical technology company — and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. Both confirmed that they value these qualities. They shared other traits employers look for — and what they’ll need in the future.

Agile learners wanted
“We look for people who have been exposed to a broad way of thinking and who can view things from different angles and perspectives,” said Paul Erdahl, vice president of global leadership and talent development at Medtronic. He noted that a bachelor’s degree is required for many roles these days and many Medtronic positions require an advanced degree. Candidates who stand out have had varied experiences, they’ve stretched themselves, taken on leadership roles, understand the diversity of the world and bring energy and ideas, Erdahl said.

The company also looks for people who have learning agility. “We will need a workforce invested in continual learning, with people who can grow on the job,” Erdahl said. “Our mindset is to hire people who have potential for the future.”

Erdahl predicts that jobs will be different in five years: “people don’t even know what job they’ll be doing then.” Medtronic will need people with broad and transferable skills as well people with specialized skills and disciplines, Erdahl said.

Standout candidates
There are some differentiators that help determine which candidates will best fit Medtronic’s needs, according to Amy Wilson, director of corporate human resources at Medtronic. “We look for candidates who are self-aware, who have a passion for our work, and who fit our mission-driven culture.”

Wilson said the differences become apparent in de-briefing sessions following candidate interviews. “Although many candidates have impressive résumés, how they achieve their results can be a significant differentiator.  Our leaders tend to steer away from candidates with a sense of entitlement, instead selecting those who are more humble, collaborative, and relationship-oriented.  The understanding that Medtronic’s mission is larger than any single individual contributes to the success of these candidates.”

Things are changing, Erdahl confirmed. “Medtronic employees will need to be adaptive and responsive; a liberal arts background does help prepare people for this.”

Versatility the key
Bill Blazar, senior vice president for the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, acknowledged that the workforce is changing for small and mid-sized employers too. “For future hires, they’ll be looking for people with more versatility,” he said.

Although major-specific skills are important, employers want to hire individuals who are flexible and creative, Blazar said. “They have to be well-rounded, curious, good problem-solvers and able to handle a variety of situations — this goes to the heart of a liberal arts education.”

Many jobs are permanently gone because of the 2008-2009 recession, Blazar believes. In their place he foresees a lot of new small business enterprises being created that will offer great opportunities for recent college graduates. “They might have to temper their salary expectations, but they will get more responsibility quicker than they would at a larger firm,” he said.

A recent conversation Blazar had with a manager at a mid-sized manufacturing company illustrated the shift toward more well-rounded employees. “This guy was looking for a project design engineer. He told me he talked to graduates from large engineering schools and wasn’t satisfied. When he turned to a smaller college, he found candidates who had engineering knowledge and were creative and practical — they could design things that could actually be built.”

Learning outcomes matter
Employers who responded to the AAC&U survey are looking to colleges and universities to produce graduates equipped to deal with an increasingly complex workplace. They called for an emphasis on these outcomes:

• Knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world
• Intellectual and practical skills
• Personal and social responsibility
• Integrative learning

Find out more about liberal education. Read more about the survey findings.

Council adopts policy agenda as State Grant program forecast worsens

MPCC is calling on policymakers to preserve the core of the State Grant program as both the program and state government face massive deficits. The forecasted deficit in the State Grant program of $42 million will result in significant statutory reductions in grant size and eligibility for the next academic year. More than 9,000 students statewide will lose grants and the size of the average grants that remain will drop 18.5%.

At our member colleges and universities, with 10,000 students receiving State Grants, students will see the value of their awards drop anywhere from $400 to $1,800, based on family income. This means that budgets will be stretched — for our students or our institutions — and retention will be threatened.

The best option would be for the state to fully fund awards. But given Minnesota’s $1.2 billion deficit, this may be unlikely. In that case, our agenda calls on policymakers to preserve the core state grant by limiting responses to these one-time reductions. This will allow the State Grant program to return to its current size and scope in subsequent years as additional federal and state resources become available. The Council will also encourage policymakers to reduce the current program deficit by delaying recent program enhancements (such as the summer transition grants and the ninth semester funding) and by retaining the program’s existing federal funding that may otherwise be diverted — thereby softening the deficit’s impact on all students. Read more about our 2010 legislative agenda.

Preparing students for high demand professions

In the next decade a record number of Minnesotans will retire and our state’s educational institutions will be charged with the task of preparing individuals to fill this gap in the workforce. The 17 member institutions of the Minnesota Private College Council (MPCC) contribute a substantial portion of new graduates in the state — 30% of bachelor’s degrees and a fifth of all graduate degrees. Many of these degrees are in high-demand fields.        

Considering health and STEM fields
With our aging population, the need for health professionals in Minnesota is growing. Minnesota will soon not have enough nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists and other health care providers to take care of the state's residents. The Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) reports that between 2006 and 2016, health care employment is projected to grow 25% in Minnesota. In fact, three out of five of the most in demand occupations now are health professions, amounting to more than 43,500 job openings.

MPCC institutions play a large role in preparing students for these highly demanded professions — accounting for 39% of the health profession bachelor’s degrees awarded in the state. This is double what the University of Minnesota contributes and only slightly less than the collective contribution of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. MPCC member institutions also award a large number of master’s degrees in health related disciplines each year.

With science and technology continuing to change the nature of our everyday lives and the future of our economy, building the necessary foundation through education is a critical issue. DEED projections indicate that about 12% of job growth in Minnesota between 2006 and 2016 will be in occupations related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Education in STEM fields has long been a cornerstone at MPCC institutions. Of bachelor’s degrees awarded in STEM disciplines in the state, 28% are earned by our students. MPCC institutions also contribute approximately a fifth of all STEM master’s degrees.

To meet future demands will require the combined efforts of research universities and community colleges, technical schools and liberal arts institutions. All are needed to meet Minnesotans’ varied educational needs.

Fact you can use

When asked why they didn't apply for aid, 20% of Minnesota resident college students at two- or four-year colleges in Minnesota said it was because they had no information regarding how to do it. (Source: analysis by the Minnesota Private College Research Foundation of the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, 2007-08.) Here’s a good resource about how to apply for financial aid.

Campus news

• Concordia University, St. Paul will present the Dead Sea Scrolls Lecture Series in conjunction with the exhibition at the Science Museum of Minnesota in March 2010. The Dead Sea Scrolls have been called the greatest manuscript discovery of modern times with some of the oldest known fragments of the Old Testament.
• The Center for School Change at Macalester College has received a $2 million grant to significantly improve Minneapolis-area charter public schools that serve a high percentage of students from low-income families. The Cargill Foundation grant focuses on increasing academic performance and family involvement, and improving financial and operational management.
• MaryAnn Baenninger, president of the College of Saint Benedict, and Fr. Robert Koopmann, OSB, president of Saint John’s University, had a surprise meeting with President Obama on Feb. 3 at the White House. Denis McDonough, a 1992 SJU alumnus and chief of staff of the National Security Council, arranged the meeting.
• The College of Arts and Sciences at the University of St. Thomas has launched a series of initiatives to address society’s growing lack of civility. Newsweek editor Jon Meacham will speak Feb. 16 at the first Public Discourse Lecture.

Briefs

• Students are getting ready for Day at the Capitol — when they meet with their legislators and advocate for the Minnesota State Grant program. Anyone can join in speaking up for this endangered student aid program. Find out more about our agenda, join the Legislative Action Network and Find us on Facebook.
• McNair scholars will make presentations on their research on Feb. 16 and 18 and hold a poster session on Mar. 6 at the University of St. Thomas. The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program prepares undergraduate students — especially those who are low-income, first-generation and minority students — for doctoral studies.
• Ads promoting Minnesota's Private Colleges are now running in community of color newspapers. The ads feature student quotes and facts that demonstrate how possible it is to attend our institutions.
• Minnesota's Private Colleges Job & Internship Fair will be on Feb. 16-17 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Employers and students from the 17 institutions of the Minnesota Private College Council meet and interview at this annual event.
• Stop by the Private College Scholars at the Capitol event on Feb. 25 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to review poster displays and discuss our undergraduate scholars’ findings. You’ll learn something new and help our state recognize these students’ accomplishments.