High Impact Practices: The Value of Experiential Learning Post Covid-19

Virtual Hiring Is Here to Stay

In the same way that a hybrid workforce of onsite and remote employees will become more normalized, a hiring process that combines virtual and in-person processes will become increasingly standard due to the associated cost and time savings, according to 70 percent of respondents to a LinkedIn survey.

More than ever, employers and higher education institutions need to form strategic partnerships to ensure students are prepared early on with the requisite competencies essential in a post-Covid-19 workforce.

What Skills Will Students Need

According to McKinsey and Company, “One thing is certain, however: to emerge successfully from the current crisis, organizations will need to nurture their employees’ digital, cognitive, social and emotional, and adaptability and resilience skill sets.” Along with the baseline career readiness skills identified by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

A 2020 job outlook survey by NACE, found that 91.2% of employers desired seeing problem-solving skills on candidates’ resumes.

Despite these unprecedented times, employers and higher education institutions have the opportunity to, as they say, “Throw the kitchen sink at the wall and see what sticks.” It’s a time to ensure students are technologically proficient with critical thinking skills needed to understand the synergy between industry growth and predictive analytics.

What Role Does Experiential Learning Play

Before we start creating 4–6-year plans, let’s do a quick dive into what experiential learning is. David A. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory is a powerful foundational approach to all forms of knowledge, development, and change. The first two stages of the cycle involve grasping an experience; the second two focus on transforming an experience.

If we impact students early on with innovative experiential learning initiatives that develop their problem-solving skills, such as internships, early discovery programs, and undergraduate research, the better prepared they will be to articulate and apply the skills gained before entering the workforce or continued education.

How Can Employers and Higher Education Collaborate

The partnership between Howard University and Amazon Studios serves as an example of one model that has invested in developing diverse talent through experiential learning. The vision of the initiative known as Howard Entertainment, is to offer a one-of-a-kind experience for students interested in all aspects of entertainment, from project greenlighting to public relations and marketing to entertainment law and finance.

Students in experiential programs like Howard Entertainment will be better prepared to fill the roles in industries such as e-commerce, digital media and entertainment, banking and financial services, and cybersecurity, which have all experienced strong job growth and been able to adapt rather quickly to serving consumers remotely.

Institutions and employers should go beyond the typical internship postings and information sessions through career services and redirect their focus to creating challenging hybrid academic credit experiential learning programs through the lenses of an instructional designer in a Post Covid-19 virtual world.