Western Michigan University Western Michigan University

ScholarWorks at WMU ScholarWorks at WMU

Academic Leadership Academy Office of Faculty Development

2012

Get On The Bus: College Talent & Industry Tours Get On The Bus: College Talent & Industry Tours

Christopher Sell Western Michigan University, christopher.f.sell@wmich.edu

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WMU ScholarWorks Citation WMU ScholarWorks Citation Sell, Christopher, "Get On The Bus: College Talent & Industry Tours" (2012). Academic Leadership Academy. 25. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/acad_leadership/25

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Get On The Bus: College Talent & Industry Tours

Christopher Sell

Assistant Director, Career and Student Employment Services

Academic Leadership Academy: 2011-2012

Why an Industry Road Trip?

Employers and career services professionals are always looking

for ways to efficiently connect students to internships and job

opportunities early in their college careers. Streamlining the

early identification process for college students and employers

has become vital to higher education institutions and companies

in Michigan as they strive to retain talent in the state. College

and university educators are equally committed to helping

students learn the professional networking skills necessary for

achieving their career goals.

In order to address both outcomes, career services staff at

Western Michigan University (WMU) created a five-day

immersion program that allows engineering & applied sciences

students to participate in a state-wide industry road trip. Program

participants will visit companies, tour facilities, participate in case

studies, network with HR staff, and connect with university

alumni in industry. The initiative is designed to engage students

in the career development process and connect them to hiring

employers earlier in their college career.

Theoretical Models

Student Learning Outcomes

As a result of their participation in the 2012 Michigan Industry

Road Trip:

1.) Students will be able to effectively communicate their skills and

interests to prospective employers.

2.) Students will be able to demonstrate proper networking

etiquette when communicating with professionals and employer

representatives.

3.) Students will understand various methods for researching

companies and/or the skills and competencies needed for their

desired industry.

4.) Students will become more knowledgeable of potential career

pathways connected to their academic major.

5.) Students will learn how to successfully identify and pursue

internships, co-op, and/or full-time job opportunities.

6.) Students will increase their awareness of living and working

opportunities in the state of Michigan.

Assessment of Student Learning

After identifying six distinct student learning outcomes (SLOs),

plans for direct and indirect assessment were made. Staff

developed journal prompts to assess student learning related to

each outcome, and a rubric was created to aid in the evaluation of

students’ journal responses. Additionally, student participants

completed a brief quantitative survey geared toward the identified

SLOs prior to the trip and after the trip to indirectly measure gains

in students’ career preparedness after the five-day program.

Timeline & Logistics

Projected Budget: Approximately $12,000 (all expenses)

Site Visit Companies: Gentex Corporation, Stryker

Corporation, Chrysler, Autocam, and Consumers Energy

Target Cities: Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Detroit

Transportation: B & W Charter Bus

Participants: All students from the WMU College of Engineering

& Applied Sciences could apply (15 participated)

The Road Trip

During the 2012 MI Industry Road Trip we stayed at downtown

hotels in Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Detroit. We visited five

different companies, toured different urban housing developments,

engaged in two networking dinners, met with our local State

Representative, and participated in the LiveWorkDetroit! program

to see first-hand the exciting developments in downtown Detroit.

Student Testimonials

What Did Students Learn?

Quantitative Analysis

Students’ self-reported scores regarding career preparedness prior to the trip and after the trip.

Conclusions

Future Considerations

Contact information

Qualitative Analysis via Student Journal Entries

• The trip solidified the choice of major and career path.

• Helped students develop networking & communication skills

• Helped students realize the versatility of engineering degree.

• Motivated students to sustain/improve GPA, get involved &

take leadership positions in RSOs, and get more hands-on

experience through internships

• Taught students to take a more active approach to job

searching and take advantage of the available career

programs & services.

• Provided opportunities to relate classroom learning to

professional environment & projects.

• Continued collaboration with economic development groups

and regional organizations in target communities

• Create a road trip committee (faculty & staff)

• Faculty/staff nominations within student application process

• Road Trip Ambassador positions for past participants

• Continued focus on first and second-year students

• Workshop series for student participants prior to trip

• New and more measurable Student Learning Outcomes

American educational theorist David A. Kolb believes “learning is

the process whereby knowledge is created through the

transformation of experience” (1984, p. 38). His theory presents a

cyclical model of learning, consisting of four distinct stages.

Kolb’s (1984) model for experiential learning informed the

design and implementation of the program. Subsequently, the

Michigan Industry Road Trip was designed to be an immersion

program whereby students practiced their networking skills and

reflected on each day’s experience to improve their networking

skills & learn more about potential career pathways in industry.

Post-graduation destination data for WMU students was also

considered while designing the trip. Many college graduates are

leaving Michigan for dynamic urban cities in other parts of the

country (seem image above). Retaining many of the thousands of

students who graduate from a Michigan college or university is a

top economic development priority in Michigan. Therefore, we

partnered with economic development groups to create

opportunities for our participants to visit exciting Michigan cities

and explore the many options for living, working, and playing.

Christopher Sell

Assistant Director

Career and Student Employment Services

1401 Ellsworth Hall

Kalamazoo, MI 49008

Connect w/ me on LinkedIn!

T: 269.387.2745

E: christopher.f.sell@wmich.edu

Twitter: @WMUBronco_Chris

0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00

Communicate your skills and interests to an…

Research skills and knowledge needed for a career

Research employers that might have positions…

Find information about the industry related to…

Find internship/co-ops

Find job openings

Network with professionals

Dress appropriately for professional interactions

Interview for a job

Identify employment opportunities within the…

4.21

4.14

3.79

3.93

4.36

4.14

3.79

5.00

4.00

3.86

5.06

5.31

5.38

5.13

5.13

5.13

5.13

5.75

4.88

5.31

Pre-trip

Post-trip

(Above) Our group of students received a tour of downtown Kalamazoo on the first day of our trip.

They met with a Kalamazoo Chamber of Commerce staff member at Bronson Park to learn about

the location at which Abraham Lincoln gave his only speech in Michigan (August, 1856).

“After going on this trip, I have a much

better understanding of the various

industries and technology that is

involved in the day-to-day operations

for engineering. Because of this, I

believe I have become better at

researching companies by being able

to look for the qualities and skill sets

they look for in candidates.” ~ Mike H.,

Junior, Engr Management Technology

(Left) Students with senior leadership

& Bronco engineers at the Chrysler

Technical Center in Auburn Hills, MI.

“The trip has been an amazing experience for me to better understand what Michigan has to offer

as a state. Entering WMU I believed that it was inevitable I was going to work outside of Michigan.

After this trip, I find it hard to imagine leaving Michigan because of all the opportunities and growth I

have been exposed to this week.” ~ Karen H., Sophomore, Mechanical Engineering

References Available Upon Request

(Right) Our group stopped in Lansing for

a tour of our State Capitol Building. They

also met with Sean McCann, our local

State Representative, and discussed all

the opportunities for living and working in

Michigan post-graduation.

(Left) Students met with Consumers

Energy engineers and talent acquisition

staff while touring the J.H. Campbell

Generating Complex near West Olive,

MI, along the Lake Michigan shoreline.