JERSEY CITY, N.J. | New Jersey City University (NJCU) and the NJCU School of Business have been named one of the top universities in the nation for experiential learning for 2022, according to the inaugural independent analysis recently announced by Forage — a company that provides career skills training from Fortune 500 companies through a virtual platform.
The recognition from Forage, based on the analysis of over 800 universities nationally to develop the inaugural list of top colleges for experiential learning, means that NJCU is rated among the top 1% of institutions in the country. NJCU was awarded the No. 36 national ranking for experiential learning.
Josh Iannuzzi, the Director of Career Services for the NJCU School of Business, added “We are honored at NJCU to be ranked amongst the top colleges and universities in experiential learning nationwide. This is a testament to our hard-working students who are dedicated to their own professional development and achieving the highest of career aspirations. This determination is innate in our diverse student population and is exactly what employers are seeking in the next generation of talent.”
In March 2021, NJCU announced that its School of Business had become the first New Jersey-based university to partner with Forage — to provide students with a self-paced remote work experience. The initiative was part of the NJCU School of Business’ focus is on graduating job-ready, data-driven future business leaders. The partnership with Forage helps to equip NJCU’s students with critically important real-life skills. The rankings from Forage are helping to create awareness about the importance of experiential learning.
“We know that our diverse student population has the drive and skills required to succeed in the workplace,” said Iannuzzi. “Forage has been especially valuable to our institution because now all students have the opportunity to gain experience through their virtual simulated internship platform.”
The virtual work experiences offered by Forage are voluntary and typically take between 5-6 hours to complete. At the conclusion of the program, students can earn a certification from the participating employer in any number of subject areas. These experiences and competencies can be extremely valuable to students seeking a competitive edge when applying to future internships and jobs.
These experiences offer students the opportunity to learn career skills from a wide variety of Fortune 500 companies. In the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, this virtual work experience replicates internships, through which students learn relevant tools and skills necessary to compete in the current job market. There is no cost to participate for existing NJCU students.
Some of the partner companies offering projects to the NJCU School of Business have included: Deloitte, KPMG, General Electric, JP Morgan, Citi, Grant Thornton, Accenture and more, in the areas of business analytics, data science, problem solving, innovation, soft skills, human resources, commercial banking, investment banking, consumer banking, audit, markets, and more.
Iannuzzi added “Many of our students are balancing a full-time course load, part-time jobs, and numerous other responsibilities. The Forage simulated internship program helps to meet our students where they are at, by connecting them with simulated internship experiences on their pace and schedule. This accessibility is a game-changer for our diverse first-generation talent.”
Source: NJCU