Participation in career-connected learning allows students to gain career-related work experiences, which has been shown to increase student completion and short-term employment/earnings (What Works Clearinghouse Moderate Evidence, 2020). Alignment of curriculum to industry standards, with explicit opportunities to demonstrate student mastery of career competencies, is essential to successfully preparing students to enter the workforce (MDRC, 2019; Cahill, 2016).

Clark will utilize faculty professional development to infuse career-connected learning within program pathways, through both academic coursework and co-curricular engagement opportunities. This will result in the development of a repository of career-connected learning opportunities (e.g., employer interviews; classroom visits; industry site visits; project-based assignments), maximizing opportunities for faculty across the college to leverage existing partnerships.