Giving Compass' Take:

• Bates College offers its students programs that encourage them to explore their interests, and pursue internship opportunities and practitioner courses that align with those interests to address the 'purpose gap.' 

• The 'purpose gap' is a phenomenon based off of a recent Gallup report that found that graduates with high levels of purpose are nearly 10 times more likely to have high levels of overall wellbeing, which will lead to more engaged workers.  Is Bates' program replicable for other schools? 

• Here's how colleges can build a better future for work study. 

Four out of five of today's college graduates say they want to find purpose in their work, which means their job interests them and provides meaning in their lives, according to a recent report from Gallup and Bates College. Yet fewer than half say they've done so successfully.

This so-called "purpose gap" can have big implications for workers and employers. Graduates with high levels of purpose are nearly 10 times more likely to "have high levels of overall wellbeing," the report notes. And other research has found engaged workers tend to be more productive in and loyal to their jobs.

Four college experiences are strongly tied to a graduate's ability to find purpose in their work, the report explains. They include having an internship, knowing someone who inspires them to pursue their goals, setting realistic expectations for their post-college job prospects and participating in a college program that encourages them to find meaning in their work.

The program covers several areas. To give students the opportunity to explore their interests, they can take on internships, some of which are funded either through Bates or employer partners. The Maine college also offers several practitioner-taught courses that cover the real-world applications of their fields of study. Students also can participate in job shadows and take courses designed to teach students how the knowledge is applied outside of the classroom.

To better understand the program, Education Dive sat down with Bates President Clayton Spencer in Washington, D.C., last week after a presentation of the new research, to discuss the connection between finding purpose in work and the college experience, as well as the future of the liberal arts.

Read the full article about addressing the purpose gap by Natalie Schwartz at Education Dive.