Spanish for the Professionals: Exploring Connections to the Community

This project focuses on exploring the connection between Spanish-language speakers at Minnesota State University, Mankato and the community of future employers. The purpose of the project is to help identify what employers look for in terms of skill sets when they hire people who are bilingual or who speak Spanish as a heritage language or as a second language and the perception that students have of their own skill sets in English and Spanish. The goal of my research is to help Spanish-speaking students understand what employers seek so they can prepare to meet these expectations before they leave college. The method I used to identify skill sets was a questionnaire for 250 Spanish-speaking students (intermediate through advanced levels) and a second questionnaire that I sent to 250 employers who traditionally hire at MSU. The questionnaire highlights career interests, writing, reading, speaking and listening comprehension skills. The questionnaire also inquires about what additional activities would attract the attention of employers. The expected results are that I will be able to identify which career paths students are self-selecting along with some of the skill they perceive they have for the workplace and I will be able to see if there is a correlation between the self-selected career paths and the employment opportunities and desired qualifications