Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education

The Kentucky Graduate Profile:
10 Essential Skills for Life & Work

Kentucky’s statewide learning framework defines the 10 Essential Skills every college graduate should understand, articulate, and demonstrate — no matter their major, no matter their career path.

What Is the Graduate Profile?

The Kentucky Graduate Profile is the state’s postsecondary learning framework. It’s a shared vision, developed by faculty, staff, and employers across Kentucky, that defines what every graduate of a public college or university should know and be able to do when they cross the stage.

It answers two of the most important questions in higher education today: “Is college valuable?” and “Why should I go?”

The Graduate Profile makes the answer visible — by identifying 10 Essential Skills that matter in every career, every community, and every stage of life. These skills are embedded intentionally into courses, programs, and experiences outside the classroom at all 24 of Kentucky’s public institutions.

10
Essential Skills
3
Levels of Mastery
24
KY Public Institutions
60%
Postsecondary Education Attainment by 2030

Why It Matters

National research shows a persistent gap between the skills employers say they need and the skills graduates feel ready to demonstrate. The Graduate Profile closes that gap by giving students, faculty, and employers the same shared language.

The Skills Gap, By the Numbers
% of employers rating skill as essential vs. % of graduates feeling proficient. Source: NACE Job Outlook 2025.
Critical Thinking40-pt gap
Employers
96%
Graduates
56%
Communication42-pt gap
Employers
96%
Graduates
54%
Professionalism39-pt gap
Employers
89%
Graduates
50%
Employers calling skill essential Graduates feeling proficient

Who Benefits?

The Graduate Profile works best when everyone on the path speaks the same language:

🎓
Students
Understand what you’re learning — and how to talk about it in interviews, applications, and on the job
👪
Families
See the statewide promise behind your student’s Kentucky credential — what they’ll be able to do, not just know
📚
Educators
Connect K–12, college, and career through a framework aligned with Kentucky’s Portrait of a Learner
💼
Employers
Hire Kentuckians ready to contribute — and know exactly what every graduate has been prepared to do

Explore the 10 Essential Skills

Click any skill to see its plain-language summary, official definition, and the three levels of mastery students progress through from high school to graduation day.

Communication
Skill 01
Communication
Critical & Creative Thinking
Skill 02
Critical & Creative Thinking
Quantitative Reasoning
Skill 03
Quantitative Reasoning
Interpersonal Relations
Skill 04
Interpersonal Relations
Adaptability & Leadership
Skill 05
Adaptability & Leadership
Professionalism
Skill 06
Professionalism
Civic Engagement
Skill 07
Civic Engagement
Collaboration & Teamwork
Skill 08
Collaboration & Teamwork
Knowledge Application
Skill 09
Knowledge Application
Information Literacy
Skill 10
Information Literacy

Three Levels of Mastery

Every skill is mapped across three levels that grow with students from high school through a bachelor’s degree. This shared progression means students, faculty, and employers all know what to expect at each stage.

1
Benchmark
High school completion
What Kentucky expects of a student arriving at college, a credential program, or the workforce.
2
Milestone
Associate or midway through bachelor’s
Students demonstrate the skill independently — what a certificate, associate, or mid-bachelor’s student should be able to do.
3
Capstone
Bachelor’s degree completion
Students apply the skill with expertise and precision — what every Kentucky bachelor’s graduate should demonstrate.

How It Works Across Kentucky

The Graduate Profile is a statewide commitment being implemented at every public college and university in Kentucky.

Graduate Profile Academy teams — at all 24 public institutions, embedding skills into coursework and co-curricular learning
Curriculum mapping — ensuring skills are introduced, developed, and mastered over time
Signature assignments & capstones — authentic, real-world tasks that let students demonstrate skill mastery
Employer-aligned assessments — performance-based rubrics developed with Kentucky employers
P–20 alignment — connected to Kentucky’s Portrait of a Learner for a seamless K–12 to college framework

Aligned with Kentucky’s Vision

The Graduate Profile connects to Kentucky’s broader educational and workforce priorities:

Framework Connection
Portrait of a Learner Kentucky’s P–12 learning framework directly aligns with the Graduate Profile for seamless P–20 learning
60x30 Attainment Goal Kentucky’s commitment that 60% of working-age adults hold a high-quality degree or credential by 2030
Higher Education Matters Kentucky’s statewide strategic agenda for postsecondary education, 2022–2030
National Frameworks Aligned with NACE Career Readiness Competencies, QA Commons EEQs, and AAC&U Essential Learning Outcomes
Want to learn more about the Kentucky Graduate Profile?

Explore full resources, rubrics, and implementation guidance at the Kentucky Graduate Profile Resource Center.

Visit the Resource Center →