Identifying In-Demand Skills of the Chemical Industry

Abstract

In a technical field such as chemistry, it was thought that employers would emphasize technical skills as they screened potential hires. However, surveyed employers indicated they preferred candidates with strong interprofessional skills, consistent with surveys of employers in other fields. Our 2014 and 2017 surveys showed that employers wish that chemistry programs incorporated explicit teaching and application of interprofessional skills so that programs may incorporate related training, instead of teaching yet another chemical principle or technique. Chemical employers also choose candidates who have had team experiences specifically related to chemistry topics. Interpersonal skills the chemical industry prefers are identified and discussed as well as the differences between teamwork and groupwork in academic settings. These results will be of interest to those who develop and implement chemistry curricula for B.S. chemistry students.