Improving Students' Transition to Work.

• Position: Brief Article

America's competitive edge in the global economy of the 21st century will depend on better collaboration between business and higher education, according to a report released by the Business-Higher Education Forum, a partnership between the American Council en Education and the National Alliance of Business. "Spanning the Chasm: A Blueprint for Action" provides six recommendations in answering two major questions. For the first--What can be done to ensure students acquire the skills and attributes necessary to succeed in today's high-performance workplace?--the report recommends that institutions:

* Gear the core curriculum toward helping students develop flexible and cross-functional skills, including leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, time management, communication, and analytical thinking.

* Integrate into the core curriculum methods of helping students acquire personal traits such as a positive work ethic, adaptability, self-management, global consciousness, and a passion for lifelong learning.

As for the second question--What can higher education and/or industry do to help students foster these skills?--it suggests that:

* Business and higher education develop a collaborative process for restructuring curricula and teaching methods, thus allowing them to keep pace with the changing global economy.

* Both...