Cleveland State University business students to take part in learning community
Cleveland State University, JobsOhio, and The Sherwin-Williams Company have teamed up to provide a group of students with an experience to provide them with the skills needed to prepare for their careers.
A group of Cleveland State University sophomore students in the Monte Ahuja College of Business will be participating in a one of a kind, on campus learning experience thanks to the work of the Talent Acquisition Services from JobsOhio to The Sherwin-Williams Company as part of their goal to create a new R&D center and global headquarters in Northeast Ohio.
Students who take part in the Sherwin-Williams Career Accelerator program will be provided with a large number of career engagement opportunities specifically chosen to prepare them for both social and academic success in college and beyond. The accelerator is designed to launch participating students into in demand and high impact careers both at Sherwin-Williams and other local companies in the community. The program will give students opportunities and connections both inside and outside of the classroom environment.
In an article posted on Cleveland State University’s website, Anne Nelson, who serves as senior assistant dean of academic affairs and student services in the Monte Ahuja College of Business at the school, was quoted about the program as saying, “Through this program, students will be able to identify better and understand their career interests and major as well as develop career readiness skills.”
Participants in the Sherwin-Williams Career Accelerator will also be given the opportunity to participate in specialized career readiness workshops, in which they will be encouraged to apply for co-op opportunities and paid summer internships at Sherwin-Williams and other companies in the community. Participants will also take classes together, be given a dedicated professional academic advisor, and have access to other resources that will help them succeed, like field trips to local businesses, customized workshops, laptops for classwork, and more.
According to two reports called “Aligning Opportunities in the Northeast Ohio Region” and “Misaligned Opportunities,” published in 2022 by Team NEO, many of the opportunities for STEM jobs like software developers, information security analysts, data scientists, and so on, require applicants to have at least a bachelor’s degree in order to be competitive. The reports found similar results for the Finance and Accounting industries, as well. The COVID-19 pandemic also highlighted inequality already present with regard to networking, financial education, communication, and access to the internet for minority residents and workers, even as Northeast Ohio’s workforce is becoming more ethnically diverse than it has ever been.
JobsOhio’s President and CEO, J.P. Nauseef weighed in on these issues, saying, “It remains a challenge for companies across the nation and world to find enough skilled workers in IT, finance, and business services, and Northeast Ohio is no different. Cleveland State University and the Monte Ahuja College of Business are known for their dedication to student success, and we are proud to have them as our partners to win more opportunities for Ohioans in these career fields and produce more talent in the workforce as we work to grow the region’s economy.”
Diana Strongosky, Senior Vice President of Global Innovation, talked about the partnership between the three organizations, saying, “JobsOhio and Sherwin-Williams decided to partner with Cleveland State University on this pilot program because of our experience with the exceptional business-ready talent that we have seen from our CSU interns. CSU is an ideal partner to achieve this goal. Many of their students are first-generation college students and often come from underrepresented minority communities in and around Northeast Ohio.”
Dr. Melissa Gruys, dean of the Monte Ahuja College of Business, talked about the benefits of the Accelerator, saying, “The Association of American Colleges and Universities recently identified high-impact practices that contribute to student success based on significant evidence.”
Gruys weighed in again, saying, “Learning communities, common intellectual experiences, community-based learning, and internships are just a few practices. The Sherwin-Williams Career Accelerator blends those activities seamlessly into one cohesive, impactful program.”
The program includes 20 students who joined with the start of the Fall 2023 semester, which started on Monday, August 28.
More information about Cleveland State University can be found at the school’s website.