Lincoln Land Community College creates an environment that best serves the needs of our students and the community. This includes career readiness and creating connection opportunities between our students and employers.
Even with advances in technology and video conferencing, the best way to connect with students is still in person. The employers who are most successful at recruiting students are engaged somehow in the learning process, either in the classroom or at the workplace through job shadowing, internships, clinicals or simply inviting students to their work sites.
Other ways to connect with students are attending college career/job fairs or career exploration events. This spring, LLCC has hosted several including:
- The LLCC Workforce Institute Career Fair where employers connect with students in automotive technologies, welding, HVACR, electrical maintenance, construction and electrical distribution linen programs.
- The LLCC Nursing Career Fair where nursing students meet with health care providers throughout the region.
- The first “Info Tech Expo,” a career and internship event for computer science students and others interested in technology careers.
- We also partnered with the University of Illinois Springfield on the Career Connections Expo with more than 100 employers in attendance to meet with students from both colleges.
While these in-person events are powerful ways to connect with students and be part of their learning experience, employers should be looking to connect with students continuously, as well as being able to post jobs when needed.
LLCC has recently initiated Handshake as the college’s job board. Handshake is the leading job board for colleges and universities. Employers can utilize Handshake to proactively reach out to students based upon their program of study, geographic preference, anticipated graduation year or various other points of interest. There are also unique features such as creating events and scheduling in-person or virtual interviews, including video conferencing.
Since Handshake has a free app, students can utilize their phones to update their profiles, communicate with employers and schedule interviews. Handshake has modern software features that students expect, and our goal is to engage more students with this new job board.
More information on how to create a profile on Handshake or to connect with the college is available at www.llcc.edu/career-services/handshake or by email at [email protected].
LLCC remains committed to providing exceptional education and resources to encourage knowledge of self, career and major exploration, and job readiness.
Josh Collins is assistant vice president for business relations at Lincoln Land Community College.