Keene State College plans to create outstanding relations with businesses in New Hampshire through the dedicated work of Daniel Henderson, KSC’s Corporate Relations Official and his liaisons team, a group of KSC professors.
The new program has yet to get a name, but Henderson and his colleagues are excited about the plans.
“Our goal is to create relationships with major businesses so they look for Keene State students to hire,” Henderson said of the program.
Related to the new program, The Academic and Career Advising Center on campus focuses on students’ preparation for their careers, according to Henderson.
On their official KSC web page there are resources for scheduling courses, finding an advisor, and making an appointment at the advising center.
The center offers help with resume writing, interview practicing and more.
In JOBWise, another source provided for students, employers can log in and create job descriptions and applications for students interested.
Students can search through these full-time and part-time jobs, internships and volunteering opportunities and apply to any they are interested in, according to Henderson.
This new program, however, is now growing to “help students with networking and matching talent to businesses,” Henderson said.
Henderson said he meets with businesses all around the state to create connections and build strong relationships for KSC.
This way, businesses look for recent graduates, or students looking for internships, knowing that KSC’s students have a great educational background and will improve their businesses.
Henderson spoke of the process of creating this new program on campus.
“It takes time, but it’s already working,” Henderson said.
Programs such as a monthly “business speaker series” help begin this process, according to Henderson.
Henderson said that every month during the school year, a business from N.H. will come and make a presentation about their industry and who and what they are looking for.
Students have the opportunity to meet professionals, connect and begin improving their qualifications for work in their respective interests.
“It not only helps businesses find talent at Keene State, but it also helps us as professors and department heads improve our curriculum to help students create the right educational background for their desired work,” Elvis Foster of the computer science department said.
In many cases, departments will get together and combine their courses to create a more well-rounded background for certain career choices.
This way, a student studying computer science can also highlight courses in manufacturing from the sustainable product and design department.
With both areas of study, the student may be more eligible for a certain job, cancelling out other competition, Foster said.
Knowing what these businesses are looking for and businesses knowing that Keene State is bringing in talent, makes these affiliations strong and dependable and helps Keene State students enter the working world with a strong application, according to Henderson.
Current students and alumni have already discovered the benefits of having an internship during their college career.
Daniel Jean, a senior studying management, explained his experience with internships at KSC.
“My professor, Linda Hadden, helped me figure out some opportunities for internships and jobs to improve my resume and give me good work experience in management. Right now, I am working with Monadnock United Way [a nonprofit in town] as an account manager, to help their campaign,” Jean said.
Jean continued, “I’ve already learned so much. There are professionals within the company and resources on campus that are helping me as I go. And the people I have met so far is great, its an incredible way to network.”
Henderson said that he and his team are working hard to encourage students to begin this process from the start of their time at KSC.
With monthly business speaker series and assisting students with networking and relevant events throughout N.H., this program will continue to expand.
Eleanor Marshall can be contacted at emarshall@keene-equinox.com