Institution recognized for creating partnerships focused on workforce development

Five institutions are the recipients of grants from the Association of Public and Land Universities (APLU) and the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities (USU) that will be used to create partnerships with community organizations and local businesses aimed at providing students with the skills they will need to successfully enter the workforce after graduation.

Schools recognized with financial support include the University of California, Riverside; Florida International University, San José State University; University of Texas at Arlington and University of Texas at El Paso.Dr Christel Perkins

“There is an extraordinary and growing demand for 21-year-old workers^st Century Skills, ”said Dr Christel Perkins, USU Deputy Executive Director and APLU Deputy Vice President. “We are delighted to support these institutions as they advance innovative work to pilot and develop community partnerships that strengthen the path from college courses to professional success.” ”

All Collaborative Opportunity Grant projects must be focused on a collaboration between a public university and an external organization such as another university, community colleges, school districts, businesses, or local governments. This grant package, known as the Collaborative Opportunity Grants, is designed to support emerging and / or innovative university-community partnerships that transform academic practices, programs, policies, and culture to enhance academic achievement. teaching, learning and transferability of 21st century skills to the workforce. The initiatives aim to support low-income students for the first time at the college level. Each institution will receive $ 50,000 to collaborate, accelerate and improve the implementation of the efforts. The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation supports the work.

The University of California at Riverside is partnering with the Greater Riverside Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GRHCC) to co-create a five-week summer internship program for 50 students offering digital application design courses, a Community-based mentoring bringing together academic mentors and entrepreneurs. mentors and concrete projects helping the Riverside community. The pilot will help create a model to be adapted to become a permanent academic internship that fits perfectly into the academic and professional paths of the students. Florida International University is teaming up with industry partner MITER to develop an organized and coordinated journey to provide students with technical skills, interpersonal skills, and access to experiential opportunities. The university aims to use the pilot project as a scalable model to provide students with clearer and more direct pathways to careers through vocational training and links with employers.

San Jose State University (SJSU) has partnered with Milpitas Unified School District and San Jose City College to create a stronger path to computer science degrees for minority, low-income, and first-generation students of the region. The effort will include in a summer academy hosted at SJSU, dual enrollment courses aligned with SJSU’s IT transfer requirements, full mentoring for students, and IT access for teachers at Milpitas Unified School. District and district teaching candidates. The University of Texas at Arlington has partnered with Revature, a technology training company providing job training in seven high-demand areas, to raise awareness of the demand for labor for 21^st Century-old skills among transfer students support their career planning and ensure that more students graduate with in-demand skills that prepare them to flourish immediately after graduation. The effort will include project-based learning and placement to help students graduate faster with more relevant skills and fill the skills gap for employers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The University of Texas at El Paso is partnering with El Paso Community College (EPCC) to expand access to UTEP’s new Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences while providing students with the opportunity to develop 21^st Century Skills which are verified by integrated courses and certificates. Institutions will provide integrated guidance to foster student engagement and increase support for student success.