23. No Dilemma at all: The Importance of Liberal Education in Developing Skills for Employability

D Bruce Mackay

doi:10.22329/celt.v3i0.3253

Abstract

Some suggest there is a dilemma in post-secondary education between the tidal pulls of career- or disciplinary-oriented education and liberal education. A survey of University of Lethbridge alumni indicated that they found their liberal education important for developing skills that are valuable in life and work after graduation. Specific skills the Conference Board of Canada (2000) identified as important for employment success were indeed skills which alumni say they developed during their liberal education experience. I argue there is no dilemma at all and that liberal education does provide skills for employment success.

Highlights

Some suggest there is a dilemma in post-secondary education between the tidal pulls of career- or disciplinary-oriented education and liberal education
Evidence gathered from graduates of an institution with an explicit liberal education philosophy, the University of Lethbridge, shows that they found their liberal education experience was important for developing skills necessary for success in the workplace
Over the past few years, I have gathered anecdotal evidence from former students through letters and conversations which indicated that many alumni found their liberal education experience was not useless but, important for developing skills they found valuable in their lives and work after graduation

Summary

Introduction

Some suggest there is a dilemma in post-secondary education between the tidal pulls of career- or disciplinary-oriented education and liberal education. Evidence gathered from graduates of an institution with an explicit liberal education philosophy, the University of Lethbridge, shows that they found their liberal education experience was important for developing skills necessary for success in the workplace.

Results

Conclusion