Hear about the Kentucky Story

Our response to COVID19

The QA Commons is mindful of the dramatic and transformational impact COVID-19 is having on all institutions of higher education. As an organization, we are adapting our services to support preparing graduates for the workplace that is now changing more precipitously than ever.

SERVICES

QA Commons tailors cost-effective solutions that expose all relevant stakeholders to its Employability Framework and empower them to incorporate employability into their educational programs, regardless of discipline.

We help organizations implement Essential Employability Qualities (EEQs) in a consistent manner, ensuring quality and reliability in learner and worker skills delivery. Our approach allows organizations to target and integrate the employability skills most needed for education and training through our EEQ Framework which includes 5 Standards for Employability and 8 EEQ Proficiency Areas.

QA Commons offers three bundles of services targeted to specific needs and outcomes of organizations, institutions, and systems. We can tailor a cost-effective plan that exposes instructors and staff to our EEQ Framework and begins the process of incorporating employability into education, training, and career readiness services.

Assessment Technical Assistance & Professional Development Full Framework Adoption
Assessment

Assessment

QA Commons offers an Employability Exploration Survey to engage instructors, advisors, and staff in identifying strengths and gaps in delivering employability skills.

QA Commons assesses the organization’s current performance in delivering employability and career readiness services to determine gaps and prioritize needs.

QA Commons develops a tailored technical assistance plan that identifies the opportunities and steps needed to improve and align employability skills with courses and programs.

LEARN MORE »
Assessment
Technical Assistance & Professional Development

Technical Assistance & Professional Development

QA Commons delivers a set of individualized technical assistance tools, such as workshops, academies, and individualized coaching focused on embedding Essential Employability Qualities (EEQs) into curricula, effectively engaging employers, and integrating Employability Framework Standards.

LEARN MORE »
Full Framework Adoption

Full Framework Adoption

QA Commons awards a programmatic accreditation designation, which serves as an indicator of full Employability Framework adoption. It is the hallmark of quality in delivering education and training programs aligned to employability.

LEARN MORE »
Full Framework Adoption
Evaluation and Consulting

Evaluation and Consulting

QA Commons assesses an organization’s current performance in delivering employability and career readiness services to determine gaps and prioritize needs and provides customized employability solutions and assistance around any of QA Commons’ Employability Standards, such as employer engagement and career support.

LEARN MORE »

What People Are Saying.

“Workforce demand can lead some institutions to teach students the skills needed for today’s entry-level jobs. But those tools may well be obsolete five or ten years from now.”

2017 Chronicle of Higher Education

“Employers are telling us what they look for and need in their employees. [EEQ CERT] builds bridges from the classroom to the workplace to fulfill those needs, while adding significantly more value to the degrees our students earn by their ability to thrive in a rapidly changing workplace over the duration of their careers.”

Aaron Thompson, President, Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education

“I feel like the students will be inspired to do better if we can get them to understand what these essential qualities are and what they mean for future employment.”

Program Director, EEQ Certified (Advanced Manufacturing Degree) Program

“EEQ CERT is valuable for programs across the board. It really pushes the program to take a look at the quality of the program and the skills they are teaching.”

Program Director, EEQ Certified (Medical Assisting Degree) Program

“While institutions have a responsibility to prepare students for careers, it is the faculty who have access and opportunity to fulfill that responsibility. The Faculty Fellows have built projects that maximize their voice, access, and opportunity to improve the academic experiences of students.”

Janna Vice, Director, the QA Commons (and Provost Emeritus, Eastern Kentucky University)

“It is an honor to be able to help other institutions/programs, and also learn from them. We are stronger together.”

2019-20 EEQ CERT Reviewer

If you’re interested in learning more about our framework and programs, please contact info@theqacommons.org

Thank You!

We appreciate you contacting us. One of our colleagues will get back to you shortly.

CLOSE
gototop