Educational Policies for Integrating College Competencies and Workforce Needs

This paper analyzes whether four countries—Brazil, Mongolia, Ukraine, and the United States—are preparing their college graduates with the competencies and skills necessary to compete within a dynamic global economic, political, and social context. It profiles how the countries are addressing three specific facets of the challenges in workforce development: basic skills development, internships, and stakeholders. Several themes emerge ranging from a general lack of agreement among key stakeholders regarding desired workforce competencies to balancing the demand for specialized, technical training with needs for universal basic and applied academic skills. The brief provides recommendations for both developed and developing countries when attempting to satisfy evolving labor market demands.