Tying Coursework to Careers
Career-readiness workshop series helps faculty highlight transferrable skills
Mark Isenberg | Division of Strategic Enrollment and Student Success Feb 17, 2026
How many times have you heard a student say, “When am I going to ever use this?” Or “What can I do with this degree?” A CU Denver pilot program focuses on helping students connect the dots between what they learn in the classroom and potential careers.
The Career-readiness Integration Workshops are bringing together faculty and career center staff to collaborate on ways to make skill development more intentional and to help students see the value of those skills. This includes industry-specific skills and vital transferable skills. The focus for the workshops is on those transferable skills since they apply across majors and are valued in most, if not all, industries.
Senior Instructor in Integrative Biology Lisa Johansen, PhD, was part of the first workshop February 6th. “What stood out to me was the excitement by the other faculty members to incorporate career-readiness into their courses, and the work that some have already done.”
The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) regularly puts out a list of the top skills employers look for in college graduates. The current list of these career readiness competencies include:
- Career & Self-development
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Equity & Inclusion
- Leadership
- Professionalism
- Teamwork
- Technology
During the first workshop, six faculty members shared how these skills are developed in their classes, then talked about ways to help students see and understand the value of those skills more clearly. Participants will come to the second session with ideas on how to surface those skills in specific assignments they already use. Upcoming workshops will focus on:
- Session 2: Helping students articulate their skills
- Session 3: Helping students use their skills to explore and identify career paths
- Session 4: Ideas on integrating experiential learning and employers into classes
Between sessions, faculty are pairing up to share ideas and offer feedback to one another. By the final session, faculty are asked to come up with at least two new or reworked assignments, and a syllabus update that reflects this focus on skill and/or career development.
Dr. Johansen has another reason for her interest in this work. “Having a senior in college myself and seeing that she has no clue how to go find a job in her field, I have realized how important this work is and how beneficial it will be for our students.”
Career Services hopes to offer these workshops again for fall 2026. If you are interested, keep an eye on the TIPS funding page for an announcement and application details.