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Understanding the importance of providing students with the “soft skills” and “durable skills” valued by employers to succeed in today’s job market, Raritan Valley Community College launched the Pathways to Career Initiative, “Essential Learning, General Education, and Career Readiness Center for Workforce Innovation (CWI),” on November 8.

The kickoff event, attended by 113 faculty and staff from 14 of New Jersey’s community colleges throughout the state, featured keynote speaker Dr. Niesha Taylor, Director of Career Readiness at the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). A professional association, NACE connects over 17,000 college career services professionals, university relations and recruiting professionals, and the business solution providers that serve this community.

RVCC is partnering with 13 New Jersey community colleges on the new CWI, which is supported by the New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC) and its Pathways to Career Opportunities Initiative.

The November 8 event featured workshops highlighting NACE’s Career Competency Approach, as well as sessions focusing on such topics as “Integrating Career Competencies into the Curriculum” and “Connecting Career Competencies into Assignments and the Student Experience.”

Explaining the impetus for creating the new Pathways to Career Initiative, RVCC Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Karen H. Bearce said, “Colleges are hearing over and over again from employers and industry partners that in addition to job-related skills, employees need to possess ‘soft skills’ or ‘durable skills.’ And while students may understand how General Education courses connect to their majors, they rarely recognize how these courses connect to career-readiness, career-preparation, and lifelong learning.”

During the RVCC event, NJ community college faculty members, with the assistance of Dr. Taylor, were given the opportunity to examine General Education courses through a career competency lens. They also were able to review the assessment process of their syllabi in order to help their students succeed in career competency learning.

The goals of the new CWI Pathways to Career Initiative include:

•    Aligning learning outcomes of General Education courses to career-readiness learning to demonstrate how career-readiness skills are embedded into essential learning;

•    Giving students the tools to develop career-readiness skills across their General Education (essential learning) experience, as well as the ability to implement these career-readiness skills; and

•    Engaging faculty in workshops to create valuable learning experiences (including experiential learning) that will align General Education learning outcomes with career competencies.

About NJCCC

Governed by the presidents and trustees of the state’s 18 community colleges and enshrined in state law, the New Jersey Council of County Colleges supports New Jersey’s community colleges and the more than 230,000 students they serve annually across 49 locations. NJCCC fosters collaboration and develops solutions that expand access to college, promote equity and student success, and create a skilled workforce to drive economic growth.

NJCCC brings together the state’s community colleges to build a world-class, flexible higher education and workforce development system that can respond to the needs of local communities and employers while having statewide reach and impact. NJCCC promotes innovation and policy changes to help New Jersey’s community colleges in their efforts to achieve academic, social, and economic mobility for all residents. The Council’s New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development builds statewide industry, education, and labor partnerships that align education and training with the needs of a changing economy. For additional information, visit www.njcommunitycolleges.org.

About RVCC

Ranked by WalletHub.com, Intelligent.com, and CollegeEvaluator.com as the #1 community college in New Jersey, Raritan Valley Community College has been serving as an academic and cultural center for Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for over 50 years. The College has been nationally recognized for its service to the community, environmental stewardship, and commitment to diversity. It is home to  a Planetarium, Science Education Institute, and 3M Observatory; a Theatre offering professional performances for all ages; and an Honors College for high achieving students.

The College offers approximately 90 associate degrees and certificates, as well as career training and professional development courses. RVCC is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 14, 2024

Media contact: Donna Stolzer, 908-526-1200, ext. 8383

PR #36