WSU Tri-Cities beats national average for grad employment

The goal with every graduate here at Washington State University Tri-Cities is to provide them with not only the academic foundation for a successful future, but also the career opportunities and hands-on, real-world experiences that ensure success in landing a job post-graduation, as well as success in their future career.

Here at WSU Tri-Cities, our graduates thrive in that regard. According to figures reported from a study conducted by WSU Tri-Cities’ Career Development, 92 percent of our May 2015 graduates reported a “positive outcome” in their first career destination within six months of graduation. That number is more than 10 percent greater than the national average of 80 percent, according to the latest data reported by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) in 2014.

Within that 92 percent figure, 80 percent of our graduates are employed full time, 7 percent are employed part time and 5 percent are moving on to more education within six months of graduation. Comparatively nationwide, 53 percent of students are employed full time, 10 percent are employed part time and 17 percent are pursuing more education or service/military, according to data from NACE.

I truly believe the success in our graduating students finding jobs is a direct result of the amazing work done by our faculty, our Career Development staff and our community volunteers, as well as our commitment to providing students with a global education based in our polytechnic approach to learning.

At WSU Tri-Cities, we pride ourselves on our small class sizes and affordable tuition. But what makes the most difference is the personalized attention our faculty and staff provide through project-based learning, career experiences and world-class research opportunities.

In addition to their busy research and teaching schedules, our faculty make themselves available to students throughout the week whenever students need study help, clarification on material or connections to research and external learning opportunities. As a result of their efforts, this year we successfully implemented AVID, or Advancement Via Individual Determination, which emphasizes project-based learning, student collaboration, communication, mentoring and the development of organizational skills. The program supports the goals of this campus to provide students with career-based, real-world opportunities both in the classroom and beyond that expands the scope of what a student could believe possible in their academic career.

Faculty members also welcome student participation on their research. Several of our faculty in Bioproducts, Sciences and Engineering Laboratory, for example, employ a variety of students who help them with experiments, as well as conduct their own research on bio-based jet fuel and other future bio-based products.

Faculty members are also able to connect students with a plethora of external research and career experiences, including internships, co-ops, job-shadowing opportunities and much more. We actively partner with organizations like the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, for example, where our students work with professionals — some of whom are instructors on the WSU Tri-Cities campus, on world-class research. All connect back to the hands-on, project-based polytechnic approach to learning on our campus.

Our Career Development staff are also always looking for opportunities, both on campus and with our local and state partners for potential career opportunities and jobs to connect our students with both while they are attending WSU Tri-Cities and for after they graduate.

They also offer one-on-one practice interviews and advice for our students, tips for the types of things students should be doing during and after school to ensure they are employable in their chosen career, as well as group workshops on topics ranging from social media etiquette to networking and securing internships and jobs.

Our campus also offers a variety of mentoring and tutoring-based programs, of which some include our Million Women Mentors program, which allows female students to work with established professionals in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields; TRiO, which provides our first-generation, disabled and low-income students with mentoring and tutoring help; and our Executives in Residence Program, which allows our students to work with current and retired company executives to gain advice and help in their own paths to success.

It is through the hard work of our fantastic students, community volunteers, as well as the dedication of our faculty, staff and through our polytechnic approach to learning that our students are not only successfully completing their university education, but thriving beyond.

This story was originally published March 13, 2016 at 12:37 AM with the headline "WSU Tri-Cities beats national average for grad employment."