Workforce demands more liberal arts, STEM collaboration
- The changing job marketplace requires college graduates to have familiarity and training in both liberal arts and STEM disciplines.
- Otterbein University President Kathy Krendl says that liberal arts training allows for scientists, engineers and other applied science majors to think creatively and to solve problems with holistic thinking.
- Professional ‘soft skills’ should now be regarded as essential skills to help graduates become adaptable employees in changing work environments.
It is true that employers are looking for soft skills which can make employees flexible in solving problems and creating solutions, but it also helps for scientific minds to be grounded in functional liberal arts. The ability to write well, to verbally communicate with a variety of employees, managers and executives, and the capacity to network are all vital elements of earning and keeping a job in any competitive field.
In the same way that many schools are endorsing additional credentials to complement degrees, colleges should look to enhance opportunities for students in all majors to complete proficiency in writing and oratorical abilities. This ensures that graduates are not only mastering industrial theory, but professional marketability and competency as well.
- University Business Why STEM needs liberal arts