William K. Langston's Preliminary Exam

This research study aims to unearth desirable attributes that will improve candidates’ ability to perform in tomorrow’s competitive workforce. Employers view graduates, traditionally recruited from the STEM disciplines, as lacking the interpersonal skills and competencies imperative for leading highly functional organizations. Recently, shifts in job requirements indicate an increased value of collaborative skills, such as the ability to effectively communicate across team structures. With more jobs requiring collaborative skills, there is an accelerated demand for new candidates employed in competitive STEM-related industries to possess a wider range of skills and competencies reflective of leadership and management capability. This empirical study will use a sequential mixed methodology approach (Creswell, 2009) using interviews/surveys to understand practices and perceptions of workforce training curriculum. Research questions include: (1) How does previous exposure to STEM culture impact candidate employability?, (2) Do interpersonal skills have a greater impact on trainee outcomes? (3) Are today’s internships cultivating talent necessary to narrow the STEM skills gap? These three essential research questions will help to examine employers’ practices and develop a more rigorous assessment of candidate skills.

Questions? Contact William K. Langston.