New program eases transition from campus to career

Graduation is both exhilarating and frightening as grads face the transition from campus to career. Co-op, combining study with work terms, provides employment and valuable contacts before graduation for 30 per cent of UVic students.

But career assistance is also available to students and grads who don’t participate in the co-op program. UVic career services has launched the Applied Career Transitions (ACT) project, which will provide upcoming and recent grads with the skills they need to identify employment opportunities, contact potential employers and gain on-the-job experience.

“For four years, ACT’s predecessor, the Career Search Internship Program, was enormously successful in helping grads find work,” says career services manager Jennifer Margison. “But due to changes in participant eligibility criteria, it no longer qualifies for federal funding. While finding replacement funding presents us with a bit of a challenge, it also gives us the opportunity to expand our services through ACT to include not only grads, but future grads.”

Students participating in ACT will attend a series of classroom sessions supported by one-on-one coaching to develop their decision-making, networking, negotiation and interview skills, and guide their career search process. Students and grads will also have the option of negiotiating further mentorship and/or internship with potential employers.

Career services is currently taking names of graduating students and recent grads who want to participate in the next ACT project, expected to begin in September. “UVic has always been at the forefront of providing its students with experiential learning opportunities and it remains an important objective in the university’s strategic plan,” says Ian Robertson, ACT coordinator. “ACT will build on that tradition to break new ground in helping students make the transition from university to career.”

For more information on ACT, contact Robertson or Paula Pothier at 472-4286.