More than 50 college presidents and chancellors attended the second day of the Presidential Experience Lab at San Jose State University. Photo: Robert Bain
San Jose State University served as the epicenter of higher education Friday, as more than 50 university presidents and chancellors from across the country gathered to discuss how to better prepare students for jobs of the future.
The visit was part of the two-day Presidential Experience Lab, presented by education firm EAB, which included a private tour of LinkedIn headquarters on Thursday.
From left: Ron Rogers, Dan Moshavi and Catherine Voss Plaxton discussed how the innovative partnership between SJSU and LinkedIn is reimagining higher education workforce development. Photo: Robert Bain
During the SJSU campus visit Friday, Dan Moshavi, dean of the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business, Ron Rogers, associate dean of the College of Social Sciences and Catherine Voss Plaxton, interim associate vice president of Student Services and director of the Career Center, presented on how the innovative partnership between the university and LinkedIn is reimagining higher education workforce development. Topics included how to use customized insight from LinkedIn to inform curriculum development, match students’ skills to jobs, identify skill gaps in the student body and track career outcomes.
“Education—both higher education and pre-college education—must adapt to the new realities of today’s workplace and enable today’s students to master the foundational digital skills needed for success in our 21st century economy,” President Mary A. Papazian said. “For us here at San Jose State, industry partnerships like this one are helping us to achieve these goals. This strategy leverages our competitive advantage—which, for us, is our regional location here in the heart of Silicon Valley.”
On the first day of the event, participants toured LinkedIn’s facility in Sunnyvale, getting a behind-the-scenes look at the company’s professional network and perspectives on the ever-changing workforce and future of work.
EAB’s Higher Education Strategy Forum partners with presidents and chancellors at more than 175 colleges and universities to address the challenges of setting institution-wide strategy in a fast-changing higher education landscape.
“EAB, on behalf of our university president and chancellor partners, has been exploring key questions as to how we must prepare our students for the future workplace and career paths that are non-linear,” said EAB Chief Partner Officer Sally Amoruso. “LinkedIn’s data insights and SJSU’s application of those insights served as a great launchpad for deepening our understanding.”