Great news! We’ve officially kicked off recruiting for a new national Employer Working Group (EWG) as a part of our college-to-career pathway initiative, Bridging the Gap from Education to Employment (BGEE). Launching this summer, this innovative working group will be comprised of over 25 diverse employers selected through a highly competitive process.
Participating companies will have an opportunity to directly influence how large, pipeline-scale universities prepare college students for the workforce and develop valuable new career services contacts within these institutions. The initiative is funded through a grant from the Strada Education Network.
What This New Group Will Do:
The Employer Working Group will collaborate with career readiness teams from seven participating UIA campuses to….
- Inform how universities partner with employers to ensure college students are well prepared with specific workforce skills & experience
- Make recommendations on how campus career services can deepen relationships between universities & employers
- Provide feedback on how digital tools are currently meeting employers’ needs
- Test innovative prototypes aimed at helping employers connect with qualified candidates
- Define student/employee skill sets and experiential opportunities beyond traditional internships
How We’re Selecting Participating Companies:
To be selected as a UIA EWG member, employers must:
- Want to build mutually beneficial relationships with institutions and students
- Have a passion for positive student outcomes
- Have time and resources to commit to the collaboration
- Believe in the importance of innovation and change
If you are an employer at a corporation, non-profit, start-up or government agency and you’re interested in working with us to transform career readiness, we’d love to hear from you! Contact UIA Design Lead Jamie Seger through the EWG portal to express your interest.
About the University Innovation Alliance:
The University Innovation Alliance is the leading national coalition of public research universities committed to increasing the number and diversity of college graduates in the United States. We do this by broadening participation in higher education and implementing proven programs that significantly improve graduation rates for all students regardless of socioeconomic background. Since our founding, the UIA's eleven campuses have produced an additional 27,000 low-income graduates — a 29% increase. The 11 alliance members include: Arizona State University, Georgia State University, Iowa State University, Michigan State University, Oregon State University, Purdue University, The Ohio State University, University of California, Riverside, University of Central Florida, University of Kansas, and the University of Texas at Austin.
About the UIA’s BGEE Initiative
The UIA’s Bridging the Gap from Education to Employment initiative focuses on reimagining the college-to-career pathway and expanding the alliance’s commitment to low-income college students. It will draw on the expertise of career readiness professionals as well as employers from around the country. The BGEE Initiative is funded by a grant from Strada Education Network.