Our employer community wants well-trained employees and a dependable career services office. And many schools provide those things. A differentiator - and an opportunity for my school - is to learn what else our employers need that they might not think about asking us, and give it to them. For example maybe an employer wants its staff to bone-up on some basics; whether it's a specialized skill or something more general like good customer service. Our school already has the resources...facility, equipment, instructors...to hold 1-day workshops. Find out what our employers need besides our grads, and offer it free or for a minimal fee.
Jose ,
I agree. Do you have any professional development strategies that you have implemented from which your students have benefited?
Sheri Leach
Increase the Professional Development strategies with them. It is important to have the involve in the professional development for students benefit.
Tom,
I agree. Becoming a member of a group such as APSCU, whose membership is primarily career education institutions and personnel, affords a variety of benefits. For example, there are multiple opportunities to meet and network with other career education professionals. And the chances to connect with colleagues to discuss educational issues, debate industry concerns, meet industry leaders and be a part of relevant task forces are ever present. Being involved provides an opportunity for us to continue to educate ourselves and to grow, which in turn helps us stay relevant and helps move the industry forward. Don't you agree?
Sheri Leach
I believe that all institutions focused upon career education should develop strong partnerships with employer groups. This is important not only for individual campuses but also for corporate regional and national offices, "trade associations" such as APSCU, and accreditors. These partnerships might help improve the efficacy of career education but also provide political support when groups at the local, state or federal level launch attacks on the industry.
Manuel,
A strong relationship between a school and their alumni is absolutely crucial. What opportunities does this provide for a career services department?
Sheri Leach
It is crucial a strong relationship between alumni and school, they will be the best partnership ever for career services department
Vivian and Lazara, you both mentioned the value of strong alumni partnerships. And you are both correct, strong alumni partnerships and interactions are valuable for a variety of reasons. One of the greatest pleasures for a Career Services Professional is when a successful alumni calls the career office to hire another graduate!
Do either of you see the value in a program where an alumni is paired up (as a mentor) with a current student? Why or why not.?
I feel we fail when it comes to improving and or creating new opportunities and partnerships. I feel that there is a world of things we could be doing with our Alumni and are not. Such as having our past students attend open houses, graduations and seminars. I feel that our current student would relate to hearing their stories good or bad.
Some new opportunities for improved partnerships we believe our institution should adopt to move forward would be; alumni employment partnerships, alumni mentorships, inviting employers to speak with our students while still in the program, and to invite employers to recruit students perhaps based on applications submitted while students still in school.
We have had alumni reach out to us to request graduate referrals for employment. If we had a system in place we could offer an alumni employment resource that would benefit students just entering the workforce and our alumni building their practices.
Alumni mentorships would keep alumni engaged in our institutional community and also provide students and/or recent graduates awaiting their license an opportunity to "ask the professional" and get some on the job training.
Having employers come into the classroom to speak with students would foster strong relationships and allow students to have an open forum for employment discussion.
Employment applications on hand would support students and recent graduates in their search for employment and also continue strong relationships with our community.
