“As a part of the UW System’s new 2020FWD strategic framework, a new tool called Career Connect has been launched to help UW Oshkosh students, among others, find jobs and internships.
Career Connect is a website that will help UW System students find work both during and after their academic careers, according to a press release from University Relations on Sep. 16.
“Career Connect was created in-house to help students get experience in their chosen field, while employers have the opportunity to capitalize on the talent at UW institutions,” the release stated.
UW System President Ray Cross said in the release that the website will benefit everyone involved.
“This is a win-win-win for employers, our students and Wisconsin,” Cross said. “We can efficiently and effectively connect employers with resources their organizations need while our students get valuable career experience.”
Cross said the relationship between internships and full-fledged jobs should lead to Career Connect benefitting the entire state of Wisconsin.
“We know internships often turn into job offers,” Cross said. “A meaningful job experience can lead to more graduates staying in Wisconsin to raise their families, becoming an integral part of our workforce and economy.”
Wisconsin Economic Development Association Executive Director Brian Douda said in the release that Career Connect will help Wisconsin businesses by matching employment vacancies with available potential employees.
“It is critical to Wisconsin’s economic development organizations to align the talent pool with the needs of our local communities,” Douda said. “This portal will play a key role in supporting those efforts.”
UWO Career Services Director Jaime Page-Stadler said Career Connect will help students who use it make the change from the classroom to the workplace.
“Internship and job experience prior to graduation will provide each student an understanding of what they want to pursue after graduation,” Page-Stadler said. “Having this experience creates more confidence for the student in their transition away from the university.”
Page-Stadler said the website does not overlap with what Career Services does, but instead opens up options across Wisconsin to UWO students.
“It is a central resource for students to know about career events across the state, especially if they are looking to relocate or are interested in a specific employer that might not recruit at their current institution,” Page-Stadler said. “I would not call it a duplication of resources, just an option to gather information.”
According to Page-Stadler, Career Connect will benefit students looking to move to a new UW System university.
“I would recommend this site for students who are applying to multiple UW system institutions to compare services,” Page-Stadler said. “[It is] also a great resource for students thinking of transferring.”
Sophomore and economics major Tyler Becker said he believes Career Connect will be useful for students in discovering the opportunities they have.
“I definitely think it’s important to be aware of what’s out there,” Becker said. “I think Career Connect is a great idea.”
According to Becker, he currently isn’t looking for work in his major but could be in the coming years.
“Right now I have a decent part-time job,” Becker said. “Maybe my junior or senior year I’d transition into an internship or job in my career field.”
Career Connect is live as of press time, and students and employers interested in utilizing it can find it at https://www.wisconsin.edu/career-connect/.”