Understanding Higher Ed’s Digital Literacy Problem
Depending on who you ask, efforts to prepare students for the digital job market are working to some degree. As noted in a Gallup poll, 96 percent of chief academic officers at higher education institutions say their schools are “very or somewhat” effective at preparing students for the workplace.
However, business leaders don’t quite see it that way: Just 11 percent of those surveyed said they believe graduates have the skills and competencies required to succeed at their companies.
Put simply, there’s a disconnect here between theory and practice. Universities and colleges see current learning frameworks as sufficient, while businesses are sounding the alarm on the growing skills gap.
When it comes to implementing strong digital literacy programs, some universities are taking a more proactive approach than others. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, for example, is empowering learners by partnering with Adobe to deliver Creative Cloud for enterprise licenses to students and faculty.
WATCH: See how Adobe is working with CDW to foster excellence at HBCUs.