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<p>Employability
skills such as communication, leadership, and critical thinking are in high
demand from employers and
colleges alike (Crawford, Lang, Fink, Dalton,
& Fielitz, 2011; Easterly, Warner, Lamm, & Telg, 2017). In a competitive employment
environment, applicants must strive to achieve academic success and proficiency
in their field of interest. They also need to possess a command over employability skills that are broadly
applicable to all aspects of business (Boahin & Hofman, 2013). A
descriptive census of 2018-2019 high school senior members of the National FFA
Organization was conducted to provide an updated and focused look into the
National FFA student membership. Its goal was to assess the level of
employability skills and academic success retained through high school and
participation, within the organization, that takes into account the evolution
of employability skills desired by the 21<sup>st</sup> Century job market.
Exploring, defining, and understanding the current National FFA student
membership’s achievements and interests in career pathways is important in
ensuring the optimal educational experience for today’s youth. The study took
place over nine weeks in the fall of 2018 with 2,087 respondents completing the
online survey. Informed consent and parental consent were collected completely
online. Respondents self-reported their Youth Leadership Life Skills, Critical
Thinking Dispositions, Communication Competence, High School GPAs, Standardized
Test Scores, FFA Involvement/Enrollment, and their interests in AFNR Career
Pathways. Results of the study indicated that respondents self-perceived high
employability skill levels and above average academic success compared to
National Average Standardized Test Scores. These results could be translated
into College and Career Readiness of the study respondents. Significant
relationships were found between employability skill levels, academic success,
and respondent’s level of FFA Involvement. Recommendations for future research
include replicating this study within the next 10 years and using a
standardized scale to collect self-reported high school GPAs. It would also be
beneficial to review USDE high school transcript studies to uncover why “class
scheduling problems” were reported as the most common reason for gaps in FFA
enrollment.</p>
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| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:purdue.edu/oai:figshare.com:article/8006672 |
| Date | 15 May 2019 |
| Creators | Britt Copeland (6597404) |
| Source Sets | Purdue University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis |
| Rights | CC BY 4.0 |
| Relation | https://figshare.com/articles/Exploring_the_Employability_Skills_and_Academic_Success_of_the_National_FFA_Membership/8006672 |
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