June 26, 2024

Highly coveted internships at prominent tech companies can be hard to come by, with more than 100,000 students nationwide vying for just thousands of positions.

The recruitment process, as The New York Times reported last year, can favor students at top universities and those who have industry connections.

A partnership between a Seattle nonprofit and a local community college aims to improve opportunities for students who live in a region with a robust tech industry that can be difficult to access.

Mentors in Tech recruits tech professionals to mentor students at Green River College, which equips the students with classroom projects based on real-world technology problems they solve with the help of the experienced mentors.

The relationships typically move beyond the classroom, giving students access to an industry veteran who can help them navigate their job search. “Working with mentors,” one Green River software development instructor says, “students have a direct connection to someone who’s actively in the industry right now.”

EDUCATION-WORKFORCE DATA

Quality data can empower students and their advocates to make informed decisions about their future education journeys and careers, but the potential of education and workforce data to drive systemic change has not yet been realized. A new brief from the Havard Kennedy School’s Project on Workforce includes recommendations on how policymakers, educators, and employers can improve education-workforce data systems. Read more.

ALIGNING COLLEGE TO CAREER

Colleges and universities are increasingly expected to update their programs to align with the needs of employers and prepare students for the careers they will pursue after completing their degrees. This episode of Inside Higher Ed’s podcast, “The Key,” considers how well the higher education community is responding to these growing expectations. Listen.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS AND EQUITY

Major employers around the country have signed on to eliminate degree requirements in job postings, potentially opening job opportunities for more than 80 million Americans without degrees. But as Jobs for the Future’s Michael Collins writes, “hiring bias, race-based earnings disparities, and occupational segregation will not magically disappear with these new approaches to level the playing field for more candidates.” Read more.

WEBINAR: Join Strada Senior Vice President of Work-Based Learning Laura Love and other experts for Inside Higher Ed’s upcoming webinar, “From College to Career: Increasing Access to Quality Internships.”

REPORT: A new Strada report proposes institutional strategies and guiding principles for increasing access to and maximizing the benefits of internships, Inside Higher Ed reports.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Strada welcomes three new members to its Board of Trustees: Sue Ellspermann, President of Ivy Tech Community College; Mike Flores, Chancellor of the Alamo Colleges District; and Ardine Williams, Secretary of the Board of Visitors at William & Mary.