Student: Johana Paola Gonzalez V

Subject: Reading in English I

Icesi University

HOMEWORK 2

COLLEGES HAVE AN ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY TO PREPARE ALL STUDENTS FOR THE WORLD OF
WORK

In a focus group I conducted with a colleague at a community college last year, I learned
once again how little students know about the labor market. The ethnically diverse, young
and predominantly male students we interviewed were ignorant — not too strong a word
— about the relationship between college degrees, college majors and jobs prospects.
They asserted with unfounded conviction that the degree itself would guarantee “a lot
more” than they were earning currently in their hourly wage jobs — one student even said
he expected “six figures.”

Many people make enormous sacrifices to go to community and four-year colleges, too
often with blind faith that a college degree will deliver stable work, a satisfying career and
a salary that will repay college debt. Yet many colleges still treat the degree as the end
point, rather than viewing it as a credential that will land students a good first job. Given
all that students risk, colleges and universities have an obligation to help them understand
and prepare for the world of work. This is especially true for community colleges, which
serve predominantly students who live in or near poverty. The economic devastation
wrought by Covid-19 and its disproportionate impact on students served by community
colleges make this an ethical imperative.

Too often, our system of postsecondary education perpetuates inequality by failing to fully
address what it takes to graduate into a good job. Traditional career service offices and
methods are outdated. Surveys confirm that students do not find career services offices
very helpful; only about 27 percent ever visit and it is usually not until the end of their
college experience. Colleges and universities also leave students to fend for themselves
when it comes to finding highly valuable paid internships and research opportunities and
connecting with employers.

KEY WORDS
Labor market
Salary
University
Student
Experience
Community colleges
Inequality
 Student: Johana Paola Gonzalez V
Subject: Reading in English I
Icesi University

System of education
Jobs prospects
College majors

False Cognates:

College = No es colegio es Universidad

Once= No es once es Una vez
Male= No es malo es masculino
Interviewed = No es intervenir es entrevistado
Figures = No es figura es cifra

True Cognates:

Community
Students
Diverse
Ignorant
Conviction
Prospect
Sacrifices
Salary
Credential
Universities
Obligation
Prepare
Predominantly
Economic
Devastation
Disproportionate
Graduate
Traditional
Service
Method
Experience
Opportunities