Engagement and Employability: Integrating Career Learning Through Cocurricular Experiences in Postsecondary Education

Engagement and Employability examines the central role student affairs plays in helping students gain and articulate career skills through cocurricular experiences. It focuses on the top skills employers seek when hiring recent college graduates. This comprehensive publication provides a discussion and numerous examples of how to identify, measure, and assess employability skills as an outcome of cocurricular experiences. Organized in two sections, the book charts a course for student affairs colleagues to support students in making the transition from campus to career marketplace. The first section focuses on the skills that are most sought after by employers as reported by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. In addition to an analysis of the political landscape in which this work is conducted, chapters explore how institutions can respond to this demand and how special populations, such as first-generation students, can benefit from intentional efforts to engage them in cocurricular experiences. The second section addresses the development of career-readiness skills in the context of a variety of cocurricular experiences. Participation in student organizations, campus activities, student government, collegiate recreation, service programs, leadership programs, and fraternities and sororities are discussed. Each chapter includes innovative models to address career readiness as well as real-world examples of how students are gaining these important skills through the deep and robust learning taking place within cocurricular experiences. Engagement and Employability is also designed for leaders in higher education beyond student affairs who seek a deeper understanding of the impact of student affairs work on student engagement and post-graduation success. The book masterfully illustrates the importance of cocurricular learning outcomes on students' personal and professional skill development.