Industry Advisory & Board Members Visit

This week, Embark College was honored to welcome its Industry Advisory Members to campus for a meeting focused on joining efforts, progress and working towards the same goals together. A variety of industry professionals, all of whom are closely involved with the college, attended the event to help update its programs for today’s careers.

The college leadership met the delegates and gave them a very warm welcome. Warmly greeting the guests, academics and administrators gave the attendees a rundown of the day. What stood out the most was a talk given by the Academic Lead, in which he clearly outlined the current courses, recently launched projects and future directions of the college. The presentation highlighted what Embark College had done to improve its curriculum, support students, technology and relationships with industry partners.

The Academic Lead discussed the ways the college met the needs of students by using practical learning, up-to-date teaching and greater opportunities for students to apply knowledge in real life. Key achievements including placements in successful internships, the introduction of valuable courses and partnerships with area businesses were highlighted during the presentation. The advisors were pleased by the work and progress and responded with useful advice and support.

When the presentation ended, everyone participated in a chat where the advisors provided insights they have learned from their work. The panelists covered the most up-to-date trends in various industries, the abilities most employers value and how colleges should assist students in meeting the requirements of the workforce. Everyone spoke openly, honestly and discussed ways education and industry could work better together.

Other advisors suggested strategies to help the college grow by bringing more practice-based components into education: live project work, case studies, visitors from the industry and trips to businesses. College workers were open to these ideas and wanted to spend more time discussing them for student wellbeing.

Part of the visit involved a small walking tour of the college. Board members visited classrooms, common gathering spaces and resource centers to see how students learned there. They praised the college for keeping its campus up-to-date and welcoming to students.

Overall, we all learned from and benefited from the visit. Both the Industry Advisory panel and college staff returned with a better understanding of the college and what it has accomplished. The talks helped everyone agree to keep striving for excellence and making improvements.

The college is grateful to everyone on the advisory who gave up their time to join the gathering. What they suggest influences what is taught and helps students get job-ready skills. Officials at the college anticipate using the outcomes of the visit to deepen their partnership with industry experts.