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Paper No. 31-3
Presentation Time: 2:15 PM
GEOSCIENCE CAREER-READINESS PROGRAM FEATURING MENTORSHIPS, AND COURSES WITH GEOSCIENCE PROFESSIONALS, ENHANCE STUDENTS CAREER AWARENESS, SKILLS, CAREER-PLANNING DECISIONS, WORKFORCE ENTRY, AND LIKELIHOOD TO MENTOR FUTURE STUDENTS
Career-readiness activities were implemented by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Department of Geosciences through the LET'S GEO (Learning Ecosystem for Training Student Geoscientists for Employment Opportunities) program, funded by an NSF IUSE GEOPAths grant. Primary program goals are: 1) provide current geoscience students with marketable career-oriented skillsets, 2) recruit more students into geoscience majors through clear articulation and examples of pathways from geoscience education to employment, 3) strengthen existing partnerships between the Department and geoscience employers, and 4) provide geoscience faculty with more robust industry-applicable knowledge base.
Two primary components of the program were a career mentorship program and mini-courses that focus on skills that the department's professional geoscience partners and mentors listed as most critical for workforce entry. The mentorship program paired industry professionals with students based on their targeted career sector. The mini-courses included: 1) survey of geoscience and related careers, 2) practice and application of professional communications, 3) review of regulations that guide geoscience work, and 4) review of geoscientist's role in technical projects and problem solving. All mini-courses featured professional scientist presenters weekly that offered career advice, skills training, and in some cases, sample lesson plans or assignments.
Additional program activities included focus-group meetings, PG licensure guidance, HAZWOPER training and career-focused field trips. The collective program activities have enhanced student's career opportunities and skills, guided their career-planning decisions, increased engagement of employers with the Department and provided students with exceptional networking opportunities. The program success is documented through corroboration of collective roles of the participants representing academia, professional partner mentors in public and private sectors and former students of the program now serving as early-career professional mentors. Assessment data is used to make curriculum adjustments, evaluate the program’s overall impact on retention and recruitment, and students' advancement into careers.