CAS establishes ‘Career Ready, World Ready’ initiative

As today's graduates enter a complex and rapidly changing workforce, the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) is reviewing and redefining how it prepares students for life beyond college. The newly launched "Career Ready, World Ready" Initiative highlights how essential career skills are woven into existing coursework. By equipping students with professional competencies needed to thrive in any environment, CAS is demonstrating how a university degree is more vital than ever for navigating the complexities of the modern world.

"The College of Arts and Sciences is committed to developing agile thinkers and doers," said Sam Swindell, CAS associate dean of undergraduate studies. "The 'Career Ready, World Ready' Initiative focuses on the flexible, rust-proof skills that transcend disciplinary boundaries."

As the largest college at Washington State University, CAS provides courses, experiences, and mentorship that impact nearly every student in the system. Through the "Career Ready, World Ready" Initiative, CAS faculty are defining and expanding how their classes integrate career readiness competencies such as critical thinking, ethical engagement, and technology and AI literacy, regardless of the subject matter. The initiative will help empower students with the skills to adapt, contribute, and lead long after they graduate.

CAS faculty are defining and expanding how their classes integrate career readiness competencies such as critical thinking, ethical engagement, and technology and AI literacy, regardless of the subject matter.

"Students see a college degree as a precursor to career success, and rightly so. But they do not always see the direct connections between assignments, activities, and other experiences in our courses and the skills they will need in post-college life and work," said Clif Stratton, associate professor of history and a lead coordinator of the initiative. "This initiative is about helping faculty highlight and strengthen those connections for students."

While students are focused on field-specific content during their studies, those same classes also impart crucial skills needed in nearly all professional careers. The skills chosen for the "Career Ready, World Ready" Initiative are adapted from multiple sources, including from the career readiness index provided by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Additional skills such as AI literacy and ethical engagement are being included at the request of industry partners.

The purpose of the college-wide initiative is to enhance student success by integrating, elevating, and communicating the value of professional skills while providing students with the knowledge to translate those skills across their careers. Next academic year, students, parents, and advisors will be able to review courses to see which career and world skills are integrated into specific classes.

By championing career and world readiness across a broad spectrum of academic disciplines, the "Career Ready, World Ready" Initiative advances the CAS's mission to prepare students for long-term professional success and lifelong adaptability. In doing so, it will support students as they master complex ideas that build inquisitive and effective leaders.

"This initiative centers our commitment to the success of our students, not just while they are with us, but once they graduate," said CAS Dean Courtney Meehan. "It is about showcasing the many ways that a degree from the College of Arts and Sciences is not an end goal, but rather a launchpad."

Visit the CAS "Career Ready, World Ready" Initiative website to learn more.