Tenth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

Colleges and universities prepare graduates for the workforce through intensive academic preparation, hands-on experiences, and the cultivation of hard and soft skills. Researchers Ramli, Wawawi, and Poh Pah Chun (2010) cite that today’s competitive work environments require new graduates to possess the ability to think critically, analyze, prioritize, problem-solve, and strategize, while seamlessly transitioning from theory to practice. Despite graduates having the necessary academic preparation, there is growing concern among employers regarding new graduates’ lack of hard and soft skills. A 2016 report on new graduate preparedness and workforce readiness, revealed that 60% of managers believed that new graduates did not possess the appropriate level of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Effective communication, problem-solving, writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills are a necessary component of helping employers achieve short and long-term strategic goals (PayScale, 2016). College-level, general health education and wellness courses can be used to teach students the necessary hard and soft skills needed to succeed in the workplace. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, comprehensive health education curriculum teaches students functional skills in alignment with the dimensions of wellness to improve personal competence, social competence, and self-efficacy (2015). Employed students exposed to health education at the collegiate level garnered higher levels of self-efficacy than unemployed students (Baldwin, Tower, and Oliver, 2017). Self-efficacy is linked to increased employee engagement and job satisfaction (Yakin and Erdil, 2012). This research will discuss how integrative health education curriculum can be used to enhance new graduate self-efficacy and improve workforce readiness.