Higher education administrators and researchers believe that the collection and analysis of labor market data will become increasingly important as big data grows, new analytical platforms emerge, and external pressures for transparency intensify. It states that
College leaders across the country rely on labor market information (LMI) to provide indicators of post-college success, such as graduates’ employment performance, long-term earning potential, and career trajectories for specific majors. is attracting more and more attention.
This reliance on data comes at a time when higher education is under increasing scrutiny from students and parents, state and federal policymakers, and vocal and skeptical critics from a variety of quarters. and all are questioning the high and rising costs of college and whether it will provide the education they need. Return on investment.
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A recent study by Rutgers University’s Center for Education and Employment Research found that LMI is also being used for program and curriculum reviews, recruitment and enrollment strategies, and student career advising, due to a “significant increase in available data.” It turns out.
Michelle Van Noy, director of the research center and co-author of two reports on the study, said: “The importance and interest in how to help students prepare for their careers continues to grow.” “Increasingly, these data are being incorporated into higher education.” . “Students come to higher education primarily because they want to prepare for a good career, and these labor market information resources are part of that trend.”
But exactly how and why individual institutions choose to use these data varies widely, and there is no “one-size-fits-all approach,” Van Noy said. Experts say that at many institutions, especially four-year colleges, the process of expanding LMI integration is proceeding slowly and without tension.
different approaches
The study consisted of 10 case studies at five two-year colleges and universities, and a survey of more than 400 campus employees primarily working on LMI. The research and survey results were used to advise institutions on how to most effectively use LMI.
One of the most notable patterns that emerged from this study is that two-year institutions tend to use LMI more frequently than four-year institutions, with different motivations and in a more intensive manner. That was it.
For example, nearly 60% of two-year colleges report using private vendors to provide LMI data. Only about half of respondents at public four-year colleges and about one-third at private colleges reported doing the same. The use of federal data (e.g., Bureau of Labor Statistics) followed a similar pattern.
Similar differences were found between two-year and four-year colleges among survey respondents who were asked what they expected to learn from LMI. Nearly all (96%) of respondents at two-year colleges said they used data to research skills needed for a job, compared to 70% of respondents at public four-year colleges and four at private colleges. Only 60% of college respondents said they used data to research the skills needed for a job. Same information.
Victoria Coty, a report co-author and a doctoral student at Rutgers University, said some two-year community and technical school programs demonstrate that the programs are aligned with labor market needs. He explained that they are facing greater “external pressure” from funders. Potential for an LMI-led approach to new program development and review. He said this could impact many institutions and create “dedicated roles” focused on LMI.
Tana Hicks, senior director of the Center for Labor Market Intelligence at the University of Dallas, a community college that is one of the case studies featured in the report, found that program and department leaders provide value and data to support it. He said he receives frequent requests for the need. Feasibility of grant-funded programs.
The center serves the university’s seven campuses and also provides technical support in data analysis and use.
“This gives students, faculty, chairs and vice presidents some confidence in the decisions they are making,” Hicks said. “These quick turnaround programs that we offer are designed to lead[students]into long-lasting, high-paying careers that essentially don’t require as much money and time as a bachelor’s degree. As an institution, we have to be able to provide them with the reassurance that we have a program that will lead them in that direction.”
The integration of labor market information at many four-year colleges is often more “organic,” less “intensive,” and less “tied to the labor market,” Coty explained.
For example, West Virginia University also requires LMI data to propose and update academic programs, but the university does not have a dedicated LMI department. Instead, the Office of Curriculum Development and Review and several universities have around 15 individuals who have been given permission to access the universities’ private data services and disseminate information.
“It’s easy to think about what happens while students are on campus, but we don’t really think about what happens when they hit the job market,” said Robin Shannon, director of curriculum development at WVU. says. “Reports like this inspire people to start thinking and talking about these things.”
“Public commotion”
But some experts say LMI integration has been slow and faces pushback from some higher education authorities, particularly at four-year institutions.
Martin van der Werf, director of editorial and education policy at Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, agreed that LMI is an “increasingly important tool,” but said there are many things universities should consider. He added that it is one of the important elements of
“Universities can’t just teach to meet the needs of the current labor market; they need to think about how the labor market is evolving and what skills employers find most valuable. I’m sure there is,” Van der Werf said.
He said four-year colleges are focused on providing a well-rounded education to their students, and as a result, LMI integration has been slow.
“Public demand and probably public policy are forcing them to look a little more closely at labor market information,” Van der Werf said. “But those institutions have a message that says, ‘We’re not just here to train people for specific jobs in local companies and factories; we’re here to give them a comprehensive education. There is a huge cross-current.
He expects the largest growth in LMI at four-year institutions to occur at local public institutions, which face significant market disadvantages as a result of declining traditional college student populations. But he believes demand for LMI will increase significantly over time.
“We cannot ignore the cry of this people,” he said.
Michael Itzkowitz, founder and president of HEA Group, a higher education consulting firm, said institutions are “just beginning to understand” how LMI can be used.
“If students are spending time and money to earn a higher education credential, it’s important that it pays off,” said Itzkowitz, who is also the former director of the Department of Education’s College Scorecard. “Students who enroll at that institution should not have low incomes and drown in unmanageable debt.”
“It will take time for this type of information to be reflected in institutional decision-making, but we are seeing a start,” he said, adding that LMI offers universities an opportunity to “get involved or be left behind.” Then he added. ”
