While the focus of the QEP is on future workforce needs, to get a sense of current outcomes, Kentucky State University, as a state-supported institution, participates in research conducted by the Kentucky Center for Education and Workforce Statistics, which issues an annual Post-Secondary Feedback Report. The Postsecondary Feedback Reports take a deep look into what happens to Kentucky graduates after they leave college. Each report provides in-depth data by institution about which degrees are pursued, the employment of graduates as well as information about students who go on to pursue advanced degrees, average wages for various degree categories, and some insights into what happens to students who leave without a credential and do not continue their education elsewhere. Reports are created for each of the commonwealth's public 4-year, public 2-year and independent institutions. KSU's report, which can be accessed through the Center's website, shows that wages and employment of our graduates, and across the state in general, tend to lag behind national averages, indicating a need to adjust the skills being taught. The Office of Institutional Research at KSU also conducts outcomes-based surveys to give us a picture of employment after graduation: the Alumni Career Success Survey combines the results of graduates from multiple years in one chart, and the Graduating Survey also offers statistics on the preparations and post-graduate plans of our graduates. As with the statewide instrument, there are also indications that there is room for improvement in wages and career success in our graduates.
As a state-supported university, Kentucky State University has as an institutional priority serving the needs of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The proposal for this QEP builds on the intent of HB 3: recent legislation passed by the State Legislature that mandates teaching the skills (grouped under the umbrella of workforce "ethics") that students in the public education system will need to possess in order to join the 21st century workforce in Kentucky: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/18RS/HB3/bill.pdf. Of particular note is the first point on the list: "Adaptability, including an openness to learning and problem solving, an ability to embrace new ways of doing things, and a capability for critical thinking." It is this adaptability that is one of the key components of "Learning that Works." In a very recent study conducted by the Brookings Institution, Kentucky placed second in the nation in the likelihood of having animation and artificial intelligence adversely impact the workforce (Muro, Maxim and Whiton, 2019), making these "robot-proof" skills particularly pertinent at an institution that sends 72% of its graduates into the Kentucky workforce, according to our most recent data. In recent years, Kentucky State University has been increasing its involvement with P-12 education in our service area, primarily through expansion of our dual credit courses, so this fits well with the emphasis on the skills learned in P-12 in the higher education classes taken by these students. This QEP, particular the group project in the capstone class, also reinforces the first goal of the Kentucky Skills U Employability Standards: "Effectively contribute to a team through cooperation, leadership, and giving and accepting critical feedback to work toward a common goal." For the students of Kentucky State University, the common goal will be enabling them to see how their learning will work, does work and can work in their careers and professional pursuits.
“Learning that Works,” with its emphasis on career skills, supports the goals of the University's 2016-2021 Strategic Plan. For example, the Vision Statement references the University becoming “known for providing students and graduates with the skills necessary to thrive in life and career.” The QEP also supports the second of the University's five strategic goals, “Achieve academic excellence across all programs and colleges, increase student general education skills, degree persistence, career readiness