New career development program gets Otterbein students ‘ready’ for workforce

WESTERVILLE, Ohio (WSYX) — Otterbein University has introduced a new career curriculum aimed at equipping graduates with the necessary tools to excel in today’s competitive job market and to combat historically high unemployment of college-aged workers.

The program, known as Ready Day, is a mandatory four-year career development initiative designed to help students identify their career paths. Students are attending workshops and networking events, hearing from alumni and faculty about how to “find their thing,” whether it be a job or postgraduate education.

Rowan Ratvasky is a senior studying global studies and political science. He said he and his friends are looking forward to their next steps, but have been weary of the prospect of finding a job.

“This ready day is really important for me to see my options that I have ahead of me and better understand how I can get there like how to apply for grad school, how to apply to law school,” he said.

The U.S. unemployment rate for college graduates aged 22 to 27 has outpaced the joblessness rate for the general population and reached its highest level in a dozen years, excluding the coronavirus pandemic. Joblessness among that group is now higher than the overall unemployment rate, and the gap is larger than it has been in more than three decades.

Many degree-holders seeking their first jobs report spending months submitting applications. The actual hiring rate — new hires as a percentage of all jobs — has fallen to 2014 levels, when the unemployment rate was much higher, at 6.2%. Economists call it a no-hire, no-fire economy.

Economic commentary from the Federal Reserve Bank of Clevelandsuggests that the job market may no longer favor college graduates, in which case further growth in the employment share of college-educated workers would likely lower the premium that college-educated workers receive compared with non-college-educated workers.

Another commentary said the relative demand for college-educated workers has plateaued since 2000, which could mean lower wage premiums for college graduates if their numbers keep growing.

With the unemployment rate for college graduates at its highest since 2012, Otterbein faculty believe that traditional career development offices are insufficient in today’s competitive job market.

The program aims to help students differentiate themselves by aligning their skills and values with potential careers.

The initiative also involves inviting hundreds of alumni and local businesses to engage with students, fostering connections that could lead to employment opportunities.

“For a school of our size to have an event of that scale and scope, is really unique,” Kate Lehman, assistant provost and executive director of student success and career development. “We’re really excited for our students to experience that but also those employers and community organizations to get to meet our students.”

The program not only aims to help students secure jobs post-graduation but also to contribute to the local economy in central Ohio.