8 Gap in the Literature In terms of defining career readiness for college graduates entering the workforce, there are important gaps in the literature that necessitated the development of NACE Career Readiness Competencies for college graduates beginning their professional careers. Most of the career readiness literature focuses on college and career readiness, with emphasis on the college aspect for the K-12 students. For example, the US Department of Education provides guidance on employability skills for career and technical education as well as college and career readiness for high school students. Similarly, state governments and agencies that have adopted college and career readiness standards generally connect these educational goals with their offices for career and technical education as did the federal government with OCTAE. Moreover, the two dominant assessment companies in the space focus on the general workforce, which generally address the competencies (e.g., literacy, numeracy, and reasoning) needed for front-line jobs. While the same or related non-cognitive competencies generally remain relevant across the different segments of the workforce, more specific guidance can and should be provided for the college student who is preparing to enter the workforce post-graduation; in fact, this population is most in need of this guidance given its proximity to beginning their careers. To help facilitate the diffusion of career readiness as a construct across the nation, NACE launched its Career Readiness Initiative in 2015 to address the fundamental needs of new college graduates, including both the professionals who serve their career development needs and those who recruit them into the workforce. This effort aimed to provide a shared understanding of what is needed to launch and develop a successful career, a common vocabulary by which to discuss the relevant issues, and a basic set of competencies upon which a successful career is launched. The following section will provide a brief discussion of the theoretical underpinnings of each competency’s definition, including how they align or diverge from existing frameworks.
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