Giving Compass' Take:

• Christensen Institute examines a disconnect with the way education systems around the world work in relation to how the economies operate. Citing examples in Africa, India and here in the U.S., the writer identifies that higher ed degrees don't translate into gainful employment as much as they should.

• Are school programs doing enough to prep students for the jobs of the future? The article emphasizes that this doesn't necessarily mean focusing on STEM or vocational training, but it does mean that there should be more symbiosis between educators and the workforce.

• For more on how personalized learning can help in this regard, be sure to check this Getting Smart article out.

Across the globe, we observe a similar trend: students, irrespective of their individual needs and circumstances, are encouraged to pursue education as a means to gain employment and climb up the economic ladder. Yet what we see, time and time again, is that when education is disconnected from the needs of the economy, this promise falls flat.

Consider Nigeria, the most populous nation in Africa. Of the roughly 10 million students who tried to get into university from 2010 to 2015, only a quarter were granted admission. But to what end? Data from Nigeria’s Bureau of Statistics suggests that the unemployment rate for university graduates in Nigeria is no different than that for students with a primary or secondary school education. Yet, education in its current form is still viewed as the most viable path out of poverty.

I have found that this is not just an “education in a poor country problem.” In the United States, while our unemployment rate has come down from its high of about 10% in 2009 to approximately 4% today, the mismatch between a university degree and the job market is getting starker and starker. 44% of college graduates in 2016 were working in jobs that did not require a college degree, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. In addition, student debt in the U.S. is at an all-time high at almost $1.4 trillion, making it more difficult for students today to rise above their economic circumstances.

Read the full article about how to connect education to the needs of our economies by Efosa Ojomo at Christensen Institute.