Career Readiness Across the Curriculum

One of CCWT’s newest initiatives is a comprehensive approach to embedding career readiness across a college students’ entire experience. This effort is based on over 15 years of research by CCWT investigators on active learning, skills gaps, workforce skills needs, internships, and institutional change processes in higher education. The Center will soon release a report on this new framework, and training and technical assistance opportunities that are related to the approach.  

One of the training opportunities that will be part of this framework is an online course hosted by CCWT Co-Director Matthew Hora. 

Learn how to teach critical transferable skills to college students using a cultural approach to skills, teaching, and learning 

One of the hottest topics in higher education today is the value of competencies that are called “soft skills,” “career readiness skills” or “21st century skills,” for students’ success in school, life, and work.  In 2018 CCWT Co-Director Matthew Hora developed a 7-week online faculty development course that led faculty through the history of the skills discourse and problems with generic notions of how skills like communication, critical thinking, and self-regulated learning are deeply shaped by the professions, race/ethnicity, and gender.  Participants were introduced to the “Skills as Cultural Scripts” approach to embedding these skills into course syllabi, lesson plans, or even in campus-wide strategic plans in a way that models sociocultural and equity-centered theories of learning.  

Check out these articles about Dr. Hora’s online skills course with insights from previous learners particularly from faculty in HBCUs and international universities, and problems with the current skills and career readiness discourse. In 2023 these online courses are being re-designed for release through the UW-Madison Division of Continuing Studies and EdX.