Exploring Career Experiences of Underemployed College Educated African Americans And The Implications For Human Resource Development
Purpose: To understand the career experiences of underemployed college educated African Americans since the 2007- 2009 recession and the implications for Human Resource Development (HRD) in the United States.
Design: Qualitative case study approach.
Findings: Analysis revealed four themes: (a) education, (b) mentorship, (c) social capital, (d) entrepreneurship and race.
Implications for Research and Practice: A closer examination of the effect of underemployment on HRD is required. Understanding underemployment could expand HRD’s scope within the context of a knowledge economy. This is in line with McLean’s (2004) call which necessitates that researchers explore the interconnected global labor market. World Bank (2012) reports show that investments in human resources on a national scale are more and more important beginning with basic, vocational and higher education and skills training. National policy makers view underemployment as a secondary problem stemming from unemployment. Participants cited problems in finding employment after graduation; therefore, universities need to improve opportunities for placement through more internships and co-op work opportunities and equipping students for the job search process. There is a growing need for more research on the role of education and training after an economic recession.
Conclusion: Underemployment negatively impacts HRD in the US. This is consistent with the conclusions of Madamba (1998) that underemployment of minority groups is an important policy issue. The participants are generally concerned about the type of education and skills they acquire, mentorship received in career development, the impact of social and professional networks and race in their ability to be fully employed.
Keywords: underemployment, human capital, career development, education and training, national human resource development
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