It is time we get serious about greater collaboration, participation and engagement between Higher Ed and the Industry!

Concurrent Session 4

Brief Abstract

There are many reasons why students continue their education beyond high school. According to the Sodexo University survey, 73 percent of students state that they pursued a degree to improve their job opportunities.

According to a study commissioned by Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU), the gap between skills employers seek, and the skills students have upon graduation are substantial. “When it comes to the types of skills and knowledge that employers feel are critical to workplace success, large majorities of employers do not feel that recent college graduates are well prepared.” (AACU).

To help overcome these discrepancies, it’s time to force industry-specific partnerships that synergize with the curriculum and the content of the program. These relationships will result in graduates who have achieved the competencies, which employers are looking for and graduates who are workforce ready. Another benefit of these partnerships is they provide a ready pool of degree candidates. When programs align with employer needs, they become fertile ground for employees seeking career advancement.

Presenters

Lead Presenter: Vik Aurora, Focus EduVation

Vik Aurora comes with over 26 years of proven cross-functional leadership experience in the education management industry. As a first-generation entrepreneur and at the age of 20, Vik started his career in the education industry and had never looked back. He has a multi-domain experience and has worked in information technology, human resource assessment with a particular concentration in behavioral competency based retention and e-learning. Vik always thinks Big and believes in leading teams by example. In his dictionary, Nothing is impossible as long as there are clear goals that need to be accomplished. He comes across as a strategic thinker and a tactical executionist and has built strategic alliances and strong relationships with the major stakeholders in the education industry. Vik has an MBA in Global Business and Leadership from Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business.

Tags

OLC Accelerate 2017 N/A

Extended Abstract