2008 Woodie Awards
Career Development 'Aims' High with New Courses
Joseph Mvula
Issue date: 11/20/03 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Lakeland College has approved two career choices classes, to be offered this spring. Career Choices Foundations will be offered to freshmen and sophomores, and Career Choices Strategies will be open to juniors and seniors. The one-credit General Studies courses will run the first seven weeks of each semester.
In Career Choices Foundations students will acquire self-assessment, decision making, career awareness, and communication skills. The objectives for the Careers Choices Strategies class are marketable skills, job search strategies, transitions and professional communication.
The Foundations class will be offered every spring starting in 2004. Although its focus is largely on freshmen and sophomores, Chelsy Cegielski, student employment manager, said it will accept juniors and seniors as well.
"The aim," Lisa Lindsay, director of career development, said, "is to help students decide for their majors and prepare for the job market after their graduation."
The course is not listed on Spring Term classes, but Cegielski pointed out that students are free to register for the class anytime, which will be offered during 9th hour.
Commenting on the courses, Vice President of Academic Affairs Tim Fulop said, "The courses will not only offer knowledge required in achievement of their [students] careers, but will be practical as well."
Career Choices was offered during the 2003 May term as a pilot class and 15 students enrolled. The subsequent class evaluation demonstrated that the course was highly effective.
"I learned what employers need from candidates," remarked David Robles, a graduate student in business administration who attended the pilot class.
"We are not the first [to do this]," Fulop commented. "Many other colleges offer such courses too."
Seven Wisconsin colleges have such courses, according to the proposal submitted by career services. Several universities countrywide, like UW-Stevens Point, Indiana University and Michigan State already offer them as 1-3 credit courses.
"By offering a career program at Lakeland College, we will provide our students a competitive edge over many other college graduates," stated the proposal.
The implementation of the classes came at an opportune time for students. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) sent an article to most colleges which read in part, "...employers predict that they'll hire 12.7 percent more new college graduates from the class of 2003-2004 than they did from the class of 2002-2003."
In Career Choices Foundations students will acquire self-assessment, decision making, career awareness, and communication skills. The objectives for the Careers Choices Strategies class are marketable skills, job search strategies, transitions and professional communication.
The Foundations class will be offered every spring starting in 2004. Although its focus is largely on freshmen and sophomores, Chelsy Cegielski, student employment manager, said it will accept juniors and seniors as well.
"The aim," Lisa Lindsay, director of career development, said, "is to help students decide for their majors and prepare for the job market after their graduation."
The course is not listed on Spring Term classes, but Cegielski pointed out that students are free to register for the class anytime, which will be offered during 9th hour.
Commenting on the courses, Vice President of Academic Affairs Tim Fulop said, "The courses will not only offer knowledge required in achievement of their [students] careers, but will be practical as well."
Career Choices was offered during the 2003 May term as a pilot class and 15 students enrolled. The subsequent class evaluation demonstrated that the course was highly effective.
"I learned what employers need from candidates," remarked David Robles, a graduate student in business administration who attended the pilot class.
"We are not the first [to do this]," Fulop commented. "Many other colleges offer such courses too."
Seven Wisconsin colleges have such courses, according to the proposal submitted by career services. Several universities countrywide, like UW-Stevens Point, Indiana University and Michigan State already offer them as 1-3 credit courses.
"By offering a career program at Lakeland College, we will provide our students a competitive edge over many other college graduates," stated the proposal.
The implementation of the classes came at an opportune time for students. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) sent an article to most colleges which read in part, "...employers predict that they'll hire 12.7 percent more new college graduates from the class of 2003-2004 than they did from the class of 2002-2003."