Georgia Southern career readiness goes on full display for state leaders

Presenting at a state conference, leaders from Georgia Southern University showcased a transformative model for career readiness, emphasizing the essential link between academic foundations and professional success.
Dustin Anderson, Ph.D., associate provost for Student Success and Academic Programs, and Glenn Gibney, associate vice president for Career Readiness, recently presented at Georgia’s Workforce Conference (GWC), hosted by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia. Their presentation, “Ready Day One: Developing Employer-Valued Career Skills in Every Student,” provided Georgia industry, economic and educational partners a comprehensive view of career readiness through Georgia Southern’s leading approach and its reciprocal impact on placement and preparation with Gulfstream Aerospace. Anderson and Gibney presented alongside Dana Nichols, Ph.D., vice chancellor for Academic Affairs and Student Success for the University System of Georgia (USG), and Nikki Williams, collegiate relations manager at Gulfstream Aerospace.
“The conference was a tremendous opportunity to present our Ready Day 1 programming and all the work that the University is doing to get our students’ careers ready,” Gibney said. “Our breakout session was attended by a great cross section of economic development leaders in the state as well as educators and business people. The highlight for me was having our strategic partner Gulfstream highlight the importance of Ready Day 1 at Gulfstream and how it perfectly supports their workforce ready expectations in the hiring process.”
In 2023, the USG rolled out Core IMPACTS, which is a series of core learning courses which focus on career-ready skills. IMPACTS is an acronym for Information Literacy, Inquiry and Analysis, Problem-Solving, Intercultural Competence, Persuasion, Ethical Reasoning, and Perspective-Taking. The USG has a key partner in actualizing the key tenets of IMPACTS in Georgia Southern’s model. Nichols shared with the GWC sold-out audience the purpose and role of system-wide orienting questions, and learning outcomes for career-ready competencies.
As part of the presentation, the Georgia Southern team showed how the University mapped the First Year Experience (FYE) and the influence core courses have on career readiness. Anderson called the experience an incredible honor and a unique opportunity to present to the USG.
“The central focus on having core learning is to provide the meaning of career readiness to students, and IMPACTS provides the language to do that,” said Anderson. “FYE is the practical way that we are ensuring all traditional freshmen are actively engaging with those outcomes to understand how that foundational knowledge applies to their majors or potential majors.”
In tandem with the USG’s installation of IMPACTS, Georgia Southern implemented a comprehensive career readiness environment for all students, guiding them from their freshman year to graduation. Branded across campus as Ready Day 1, this program helps students develop the necessary skills to enter a global workforce. As the talk’s title suggests, the four presenters mapped the Georgia Southern student journey from their first course through their internships and first jobs.
Led by the Office of Career and Professional Development, “Ready Day 1: Connect,” the University’s new Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), is designed to enhance post-graduation career outcomes by creating intentional links between what students learn in their degree programs and the competencies that will make them successful professionals. The University’s initiative also aligns with the USG’s Career Ready Competencies and builds on those by blending National Association of Colleges and Employers Competencies and hands-on workforce experience. The real impact of this approach is demonstrated in the University-industry partner relationship and the assurance of readiness of new professionals.
Anderson said the invitation to present at the conference is a testament to the success the University is having with the QEP and FYE initiatives. This is also reflected in the University’s NASPA Award-winning Eagle Experience program accolades. The focus of the Eagle Experience is for students to feel challenged by and supported in their academic journey, recognize their talents and academic potential and maintain a growth mindset and a resilient outlook with self-direction for their education. They can also see the connection between University and community engagement and classroom learning, and develop a plan beyond graduation into their chosen career path.
The results are already showing returns. For students participating in pilot College of Behavioral and Social Sciences courses with Ready Day 1 content, their confidence in interviewing skills increased by 37%, and the students’ perceived readiness in interviewing was up by 62%.
The GWC focused on innovative strategies and programs that Georgia companies, communities and organizations are using to address talent development needs and to build long-term workforce pipelines. The conference brings together partners in workforce development, education, business and economic development to explore promising practices and emerging ideas to solve talent challenges around the state. The Georgia Workforce and Economic Resilience Center (GWERC) highlights the Carl Vinson Institute’s commitment to serving and empowering local and state leaders as they plan for a more prosperous Georgia. The center serves as a central hub for programs and services designed to support Georgia’s continued economic and workforce competitiveness. Through events like the conference, they assist state, local and regional partners on workforce and economic development strategy, decision-making and implementation. Each year, the GWC draws support and engagement from major companies like Regions Bank, McKinsey, RavenVolt, Hyundai Motor Group, Kia, Toyo, Aflac, Georgia Power and Amazon.
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