A new survey has found that recent college grads have trouble transitioning from school to the workforce.
Should we really be surprised by this, though? Colleges and universities seem to waste so much time on social justice, DEI policies, etc. When do students even have time to think about what life will be like when they finally graduate and get jobs?
Johanna Alonso writes at Inside Higher Ed:
Survey Finds Recent Grads Emotionally Unprepared for WorkNearly 40 percent of recent graduates believe their college or university did an inadequate job of preparing them for “the emotional or behavioral impact of the transition to the workplace,” according to a new survey released today by the Mary Christie Institute. An even greater portion of recent graduates with high financial stress—50 percent—reported feeling unprepared.The survey, which Mary Christie produced in partnership with the American Association of Colleges and Universities, Healthy Minds Network, the National Association of Colleges and Employers, and Morning Consult, asked 1,005 young professionals between the ages of 22 and 28 about their emotional well-being. More than half (51 percent) reported needing help for emotional or mental health problems in the past year, with 43 percent screening positive for anxiety and 31 percent for depression. The gender disparity was notable; 68 percent of men self-reported good or excellent mental health compared to 45 percent of women.Of the 39 percent of recent graduates who said college had prepared them emotionally for the workforce, more than half cited peer relationships (57 percent) and extracurriculars (51 percent) as having a positive impact, while just 43 percent named mental health counseling and 40 percent cited career services.
The Mary Christie Institute describes the study:
The Mary Christie Institute, in partnership with the Healthy Minds Network, the American Association of Colleges and Universities, (AAC&U) and the National Association for Colleges and Employers (NACE) conducted this survey of graduates between the ages of 22 and 28 seeking to better understand the mental and emotional health of early career professionals. We believe understanding more about the emotional and mental wellbeing of the “Gen Z” workforce can serve to create a bridge between higher education and industry regard and may help to address the mental health problems that are defining this generation.
You can read the full survey results here.
Some interesting findings:
Black and Asian American respondents reported better overall mental health than their white peers (60% and 63%, respectively, said they have good or excellent mental health, compared to 52% of white and 49% of Hispanic respondents). However, Black respondents were less likely to feel part of the work community than their white peers (50% vs 68%); and were less likely to say they have colleagues who would support them if struggling compared to their white counterparts (52% vs 73%).Nearly half (45%) of young professionals believed their work environment has taken a negative toll on their own mental health in the previous year.Interest in mental health resources was high among young professionals, particularly if offered for free.
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