Dallas College finds itself in pretty good company these days.
The school is one of six universities and colleges participating in Deloitte’s Future of Work Institute.
“We were part of the pilot program and received some great feedback from students,” said Dr. LaJuanda Jones, senior director of operations. “It’s a great program with some hands-on type activities, networking and career planning.”
The program is entering its second year and is described by Deloitte as “preparing tomorrow’s workforce with the human-centered skills needed to thrive in an era of continuous change.”
Among the skills emphasized throughout the curriculum include empathy, emotional intelligence, written and verbal communication, critical thinking and problem solving.
As Deloitte’s website for the program puts it, “From junior university students starting to explore future career options, to masters’ students who have experienced disruption in previous careers, to first generation students who are navigating careers for the first time, the Future of Work Institute can guide students through preparing effectively for a career that will inevitably change and be disrupted.”
Dallas College is the only two-year school taking part in the program. The other schools include Boston University, Florida State University, Howard University, the University of Nebraska—Lincoln and the University of Southern California.
Last year, Deloitte awarded a total of 250 students with microcredentials in new workplace strategies, which included several students from Dallas College’s School of Engineering, Technology, Mathematics and Sciences. Having a certificate of that nature from one of the Big Four accounting firms is a boost to any resume, Jones said.
“Hopefully students parlay this into setting them apart as they go out for interviews, whether it’s finding a job now or finding a job later,” Jones said.
Jones went on to say that she admired the students’ hunger to take part in a program of this nature. Since it’s a Deloitte initiative, this certificate is earned outside of Dallas College’s regular coursework.
“Our students had to devote their own time, but they realized what kind of opportunity this was,” Jones said. “It really was a win-win. Deloitte got something from us, and we got something from them, especially our students.”