SC State’s BECT Institute, Career Center launch Bulldog Career Readiness & Leadership Academy
Students can earn professional badges for digital résumés.
Beginning this semester, students can enhance their résumés and competencies by earning digital badges for participation in various programs and experiential learning activities that highlight their employability skills.
“Research indicates there is a growing demand for students to have an array of skills beyond technical knowledge to be successful in the workplace, but there appears to be a disconnect between the skills needed and the skills students have when they graduate,” said Dr. Barbara Adams, the BECT Institute’s director. “This program will address this concern and enhance the future success of SC State graduates.”
The Bulldog Career Readiness & Leadership Academy will focus on employability skills cited by employers as the skills most critical to workplace success in the 21st-century economy. These skills include critical thinking, oral and written communications, collaboration and teamwork, professionalism, technology use, creativity, leadership, financial literacy and more. Thus, the objectives of the Bulldog Career Readiness & Leadership Academy are to:
- Complement academic programs to strengthen employment outcomes.
- Align learning to employer needs and hiring trends.
- Prepare students with in-demand skills and hands-on experience.
“The Career Center wants to ensure that students graduate not just with a foundation of knowledge and skill in their chosen major, but also with the ability to successfully find and apply for a rewarding job,” said Joseph Thomas, the Career Center’s director. “So, in addition to providing career counseling and job fairs, we conduct workshops, mock interviews and other events to make students career ready.
“This collaboration with the BECT Institute to issue a digital badge in professionalism
and other skills needed in the workplace is timely and will enhance their resumes,”
Thomas said.
The Career Readiness & Leadership Academy is a digital badging program consisting
of learning modules that include activities, virtual or live workshops and online
training. Students may earn badges in eight categories:
- Professionalism.
- Communication.
- Critical Thinking.
- Teamwork and Collaboration.
- Technology.
- Leadership Development.
- Financial Literacy
- Innovation and Creativity.
The badges are awarded based on a point structure. Students may earn points towards each badge by participating in a variety of activities including:
- Engaging with the Career Center.
- Joining a club or organization.
- Participating in various professional development workshops and seminars sponsored through their departments, the Career Center, the BECT Institute, or student organizations.
- Obtaining technology certifications.
- Developing a LinkedIn profile.
All activities have different point values based on factors including level of involvement,
development of skill, proficiency or knowledge, and overall responsibility. Each activity
varies by badge, but all contribute to the student’s overall growth and preparedness
for the workplace. If all eight badges are earned students will also earn a Certificate
in Professional and Leadership Development from the BECT Institute.
To obtain more information and access to the program, students should complete the
registration form at: https://forms.office.com/r/2QCvJaHwmE.
For more about the BECT Institute, visit www.scsu.edu/bect/. For more about the Career Center, visit www.scsu.edu/career-center/.