Pan-Atlantic University Enhances Career Services Through Collaborative Workshop
Career services teams in higher education face a delicate balancing act fostering student interest, forming industry connections, and equipping graduates with relevant skills.
UBA CHIDINMA 
Career services teams in higher education face a delicate balancing act fostering student interest, forming industry connections, and equipping graduates with relevant skills. To tackle these challenges, the Education Collaborative Career Strategy Workshop, held annually, provides a crucial platform for professional development and strategic guidance.
Nkiru Ukachukwu, Director of Careers and Alumni Office, Pan-Atlantic University, sharing learnings from the Career Strategy Workshop at the 2024 West Africa hub Convening.
The workshop aims to help career services departments enhance graduate employability outcomes through transformative systems. Abigail Welbeck, director of career services at Ashesi University, describes it as “a great opportunity for career development professionals to learn practical strategies for creating effective systems that enhance students’ employability outcomes.”
Pan-Atlantic University’s Careers and Alumni Office has already seen results after attending the 2023 workshop. Nkiru Ukachukwu, the director of the office, shared that her team learned new ways to assess the impact of their programs on students and industry contacts. Inspired by successful practices from other institutions, the university has since introduced new initiatives, including CV writing clinics, interview workshops, and the use of WhatsApp as an engagement tool for students.
Abigail Welbeck, Director of Career Services at Ashesi University.
“Using infographics and periodic class visits, we’ve increased student interest and engagement,” said Ukachukwu. The university also adopted peer-to-peer counseling, which proved invaluable in managing a large student population.
After the workshop, Pan-Atlantic University restructured its career services calendar, placing critical events early in the academic year and boosting industry engagements. The university now hosts quarterly newsletters and industry visits to strengthen relationships and demonstrate its commitment to career development.
Ukachukwu praised the workshop for offering solutions to career services teams, stating, “There are few training programs for career services personnel, so attending it was timely and pivotal for us.”
