Collegian T he Cameron University
www.aggiecentral.com
Monday, September 11, 2023
Volume 109 Issue 2
CU in the workforce Cameron's workforce readiness program Brittney Payette Managing Editor
Cameron’s Student Enrichment Center (SEC) is ready to help Aggies succeed in their careers — even after students graduate. The workforce readiness program in the SEC has recently expanded and now includes more resources as part of the CU Advance Initiative’s Learn to Earn Program. The CU Advance Initiative is the university’s career pathway project that helps students network and advance their careers. Work-Based Learning Experience Coordinator Isabella Myers said that the program offers a variety of resources to students that can help them prepare to enter the workforce. “The expansion came after some changes internally,” Myers said. “We have acquired some of those (resources) that were previously under career services, and so we’ve opened up our services to help there not be a lag in things that are offered to students.” According to a press release on the Cameron website, the SEC is under a five-year 2.1 million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Strengthening Institutions program. “Originally, it (the CU Learn to Earn program) was started to Moreover, Myers said there are help students get more experience places in the community where aside from just on-campus jobs students were welcome to do some and internships,” Myers said. “We job shadowing in the past, such as at also wanted to offer job shadowing the Comanche Medical Center and because that wasn’t … previously the Southwestern Medical Center in offered at Cameron too much.” Lawton. Myers said the She said SEC’s program also helps workers offer onestudents prepare "A lot of students on-one meetings for both off-campus with students, so don’t know that we and on-campus they can focus on jobs. can help with food helping individual “They wanted insecurities, housing students with their to expand that and unique career insecurities, those give students a paths. better way to do sorts of things." One way that some job shadowing Isabella Myers the workers help in the community,” Work-Based Learning students prepare she said. “Some Experience Coordinator for jobs is to teach students hadn’t them professional had experience skills. applying before, “So, helping build those sort of so we wanted to help with a little bit skills through either workshops or of resume help, a little bit of cover one-on-one training,” Myers said. writing help to help supplement “A big part of it is SkillsFirst, which some of the things that student helps students build their resumes.” development was doing.”
Graphic courtesy of Adobe Photoshop
She said that SkillsFirst is a good tool that can help students do cover letters, create their resumes and even practice interview questions and elevator pitches. “We work a lot with Focus2,” Myers said. “Focus2 helps students maybe narrow down their search, especially if they haven’t decided on a major or if they’ve decided on a major, but don’t know what to do with it.” An additional resource is the College Central Network, where people can post jobs locally, on the state level and even worldwide. Myers said she wishes more students knew that the workforce readiness center in the SEC is there to assist students. “We are here for them to use these resources and not be afraid,” she said. “We have great stuff here. We have the student success coaches (and) they can help with a variety of things. They even help with some advising now.”
Myers said that the SEC has a Financial Resource Specialist who can help with financial coaching. “He can help with budgeting or talking to them about how to apply for certain things,” she said. “(Such as) certain scholarships that students may not know about that are connected with Cameron that they can apply for … Also, helping students know how important filling out their FAFSA is, and we help with community resources. A lot of students don’t know that we can help with food insecurities, housing insecurities, those sorts of things.” Myers said she hopes more students will take advantage of what the SEC has to offer and that she is really excited to help more students get connected to their career paths. For more information, go to the SEC website at https://www. cameron.edu/office-of-teaching-andlearning/student-enrichment-center/ workforce-readiness or contact the SEC at sec@cameron.edu
Photo by Brittney Payette
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