Collaborative Research: Exploring Factors That Shape Education and Workplace Training on Essential 21st Century Competencies: A Translational Study in Four High-Stem Job Regions

WCER is collaborating with the Rochester Institute of Technology to investigate whether college classrooms and workplace training cultivate specific 21st-century competencies, and the cultural, organizational, and systemic factors that support or impede such practices. 

The fields of study being investigated include photonics, information technology, energy, and advanced manufacturing industries in four regions in the U.S. with high concentrations of STEM jobs -- Seattle, Raleigh, Houston, and Denver.

Researchers are examining 

how educators and employers define “critical workforce competencies,”

student and employee experiences with education or training 

the transition from school to work, and 

cross-sector partnerships that bridge the gaps between higher education and STEM industries.

Researchers will produce a comprehensive account of how educators in 2- and 4-year institutions as well as STEM-related industries think about, and cultivate, 21st-century competencies.

The research will provide evidence of how and when students and employees attain transferable skills critical for their success in school, life and work.