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.
EEQ Certification, also known as “EEQ CERT” is equal parts professional development, program enhancement, and student services. As much as the process inspires ideas for curricular and co-curricular enhancements, EEQ CERT helps draw out and highlight the activities and exercises within the curriculum that already develop employability skills.
Grounded in QA Commons’ Employability Framework , which includes five standards of care: Development of Essential Employability Qualities, Integrated Career Support Services, Employer Engagement, Student & Alumni Engagement, and Transparency of Outcomes.
Awareness matters. The work helps faculty (and then students) understand what Essential Employability Qualities are, recognize why they are important to employers, and articulate how they have developed them through their academic or training program. Faculty and instructors attain an Employability Education certification, and learners earn digital Employability Skills badges based on specific activities within the program’s curricula.
Learners earn digital Employability Skills badges based on specific activities within an academic or training program’s curricula or through work-based learning experiences. These badges help learners connect the dots between their education and employment, represent their employability skills in a job interview, and be more attuned to workplace culture and expectations once in a job. Badges are offered through the Credly platform.
A range of professional development offerings are available, tailored to the needs of your faculty, instructors, and staff.
Synchronous sessions are interactive in nature, with facilitated discussion in addition to lectures. Unique exercises get participants thinking out of the box with respect to embedding Essential Employability Qualities (EEQs) into curricula, effectively engaging employers, designing effective work-based learning experiences, understanding the latest thinking around skills and the future of work, and ensuring all learners are reaping the benefits of a program’s offerings.
QA Commons offers a short “EEQ-centric” preparation course that equips students with a deep understanding of workplace expectations, labor market dynamics, and basic business acumen. During their internships, students engage in a reflective journaling process to maximize their learning experiences, while employers participate in the evaluation process to ensure a comprehensive feedback loop. This approach helps students develop essential employability skills, contextual awareness, and fosters meaningful professional growth.
QA Commons’ tailored approach helps – provide organizations with tools and methodologies to track progress, assess impact, and optimize strategies for continuous improvement. These services encompass logic model design, evaluation strategy, data collection, analysis, reporting to inform decision-making, and knowledge sharing and adaptive management to enhance overall performance and achieve desired outcomes.
Support and guidance are provided to address challenges, provide project support, and/or achieve specific goals or tasks. Examples of recent work include the development of a Noncredit Quality Assurance process for a university and a future-focused Labor Market Analysis for a community college.
If you’re interested in learning more about our framework and programs, please contact info@theqacommons.org
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