The Revised NACE Career Readiness Competencies

Career Level: Basic-, intermediate-, and advanced-level career services, university relations and recruiting, and business affiliate professionals
Competency: Researching, evaluating, and integrating information
Fee: FREE (member); $69 (nonmember);

Summary

Learn about the revised career readiness competencies and how they will move us forward in building a successful workforce. Two years in the making, the revisions reflect the work of a member task force, research conducted by NACE in partnership with SkillSurvey, and recommendations gathered through the NACE membership.

The session will provide an overview of the revisions, share highlights about the work of the task force and the research into behaviors associated with the competencies, and review implications for developing talent. Much of the session will be devoted to engaging with members to answer questions about the revised competencies.
Presenters

Tim Harding, Asst. Vice Pres.,Career Development and Engagement, University of Tampa
Tim Harding, Assistant Vice President for Career Development and Engagement at The University of Tampa, boasts over 30 years of experience in higher education. His dedication to career readiness and competency development is evident through his leadership in the university's institution-wide initiative, Spartan Ready®, and co-founding the annual national Competency Development Symposium. As a keynote speaker, Harding has addressed various meetings, conducting workshops, retreats, and presentations for associations and institutions. In his National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) leadership roles, Harding served as Vice President-College from 2021 to the present, Director-College on the Board of Directors from 2017 to 2020, and co-chair for the 2018 to 2020 Career Readiness Task Force. Additionally, he held key positions in other association leadership roles, including president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Employers (SoACE) and Career Development Professionals of Indiana. Harding has received prestigious awards, including NACE's Mackes Leadership Award, SoACE's Southern Star Award, and the Brownlee Leadership Award from the Florida Association of Colleges and Employers. Recognized for innovation, he received the SoACE Imaginative Spirit Award and the SoACE President’s Award. Harding holds a Master of Science in education from Indiana University, a Bachelor of Arts from Anderson University, and completed the Stetson College of Law/NASPA Student Affairs Policy and Law Certificate Program in 2009.

Stephanie Pallante, Early Careers Recruitment Leader, The Cigna Group
As a seasoned talent acquisition leader, Stephanie Pallante has a successful history of leading teams in the development and implementation of talent acquisition strategies for experienced hires, new graduates, and diversity initiatives across multiple industries. While she has broad experience, Pallante’s “heart” is in the early careers space, where she finds great satisfaction in helping collegiate students explore career paths as interns, kick start their professional careers post-graduation, and continue to grow and advance. Pallante currently leads University Relations & Early Careers Recruiting for Cigna, with responsibility for developing the early career talent strategies necessary to support Cigna's nine undergraduate Leadership Development Programs. She also oversees the company’s collegiate hiring initiatives for all enterprise internship opportunities. Before joining Cigna in 2018, Pallante served as the Early Career Recruitment and Programs Leader for Aramark, where she was instrumental in establishing an enterprise-wide recruitment strategy that identified collegiate talent for Aramark’s management training program. Pallante has also held recruitment leadership roles at PPD, Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, and Unisys. As an active member of NACE for more than 25 years, Pallante’s volunteer service has included Vice President & Director – Employer, along with numerous strategic committees and task forces, such as Strategic Positioning of Career Services, Career Readiness Competencies, Conference Committee, Communities of Practice, and Honors & Awards to name a few. Stephanie holds a B.S. in Communications from Kutztown University. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-pallante-6620871/

Joshua Kahn, Associate Director of Research and Public Policy, NACE
Josh Kahn, Ph.D., is the associate director of research and public policy at the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). He earned his doctorate in educational leadership with an emphasis on quantitative research methods from the University of Oregon in 2018. His interests include using a wide-range of measurement and assessment techniques, strengthening systems and routines to enhance outcomes, and weaving together multiple sources of data to make informed decisions. At NACE, Dr. Kahn helps run the research department by developing and administering surveys, analyzing data, and disseminating results to the membership and the press. Prior to earning his Ph.D., Kahn was a special education teacher in Eugene, Oregon, and the Bronx, New York.

Matthew Brink, Chief Programs and Content Officer, NACE
Matthew Brink is chief content and programs officer for the National Association of Colleges and Employers. He oversees professional development services, meetings and events, content, and all research initiatives. An experienced professional in the field, Brink has overseen career services in a variety of institutions, including, most recently, the University of Delaware, and has been active in employer-focused activities.