EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) | November 25, 2022
The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) has launched a new internship program for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to help bridge the opportunity gap for students of color—offering community development mentorship and experience that gives young people a leg up when entering the workforce. Over the next two years, LISC's National HBCU Talent Development program is placing 40 students in part-time intern positions with local LISC offices and other community development financial institutions (CDFIs). Interns will support a range of initiatives, from marketing to finance to community engagement, while also participating in leadership and national networking events. The program is funded by the Citi Foundation and is specifically designed to address national disparities in internships, with White students significantly more likely to gain paid versus unpaid positions than Black students. The LISC internship pays $25/hour up to $15,000 for the academic year. Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not," noted Denise Scott, LISC president, who held a virtual "fireside" chat with the initial cohort of interns last month. This program is part of our work to address systemic racial barriers that keep young people from gaining the experience and connections they need to compete for good jobs," she explained. "Through this program, students can earn a strong wage, gain hands-on experience, work with mentors and build a network of contacts and supporters all while supporting valuable community investment activity," she continued. "It's a win for all of us. At the outset, eight HBCUs are participating in the program, with young people from varied backgrounds and experiences applying to participate. Eryn Glover, for instance, is a sophomore marketing major at Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) in Charlotte, N.C., and one of LISC's first HBCU interns. She is working with the staff at LISC Charlotte to support fundraising, social media and community outreach, helping extend LISC's engagement with the region's philanthropic leaders and supporting valuable collaborations with local partners. I've always known that I wanted to do nonprofit work and put my skills to work to help people," said Glover, a South Jersey native who has spent recent summer breaks working at community-based organizations. She chose JCSU for her education because she wanted to attend an HBCU, benefit from a smaller university, and be close to family that had moved to North Carolina. I feel like I have opportunities here, like the LISC internship, that offer the chance to really get to know professors and mentors, and to also make a difference. I want to work in marketing within the nonprofit space, so this internship really aligns with that," she said. In Washington, D.C., Howard University senior Marsi Hailu is interning with the LISC policy team. Her early projects include mapping gaps in broadband access especially in rural communities and researching the disproportionate impact of climate events on low-income communities of color.I already knew that there is a lack of intergenerational wealth in Black and Brown communities because of historical discrimination," she said of her initial research. "But I guess I didn't realize how much that intersects with geography. It's a lot easier to recover from a disaster if you aren't already living paycheck to paycheck," she added. Hailu, a finance major from Northern Virginia, hopes to pursue a graduate degree in urban development after graduation, with a concentration in affordable housing. She said the LISC internship offers the opportunity to try her hand at different aspects of community development, going well beyond what she might learn in her finance classes. In a lot of places, housing is at the root of inequality," she said, explaining her passion for the work. "As someone who grew up in the area, I see the disparities facing low-income folks. I want to do something about that," she said. In addition to Howard and JCSU, initial HBCU supporters of the program include Edward Waters University (Florida), LeMoyne-Owen College (Tennessee), Lincoln University (Pennsylvania), Morehouse College (Georgia), Simmons College (Kentucky), and Virginia State University (Virginia). Additional HBCUs will be referring students in the months to come. LISC's Scott said the universities are eager to help students identify new opportunities for advancement—particularly given that many of the schools already have existing relationships with LISC, collaborating on local efforts related housing and economic development.
"Here at Johnson C. Smith University, we strive to graduate global citizens who develop a compelling sense of social and civic responsibility for leadership and service,. "LISC's internship program is an excellent way for JCSU students to put this possibility into perspective outside of the classroom. Just as we strive to develop a better world by graduating the best and brightest, LISC does the same by investing in its community to make economic equality a reality," he said.
JCSU President Clarence D. Armbrister
The National HBCU Talent Development program draws on the experience of LISC's nearly three decades of work with AmeriCorps, including the Economic Mobility Corps (EMC) launched in 2020. Through EMC, LISC places national service members in positions that help build the capacity of CDFIs. We have long seen the value in connecting people to community development positions in places that they know and care about," Scott said. "Our HBCU internship program takes that a step further, focusing on gaps in opportunity for students of color, injecting equity into CDFI recruitment efforts and building a community development workforce that reflects the people and places it serves.
About LISC
LISC is one of the country's largest community development organizations, helping forge vibrant, resilient communities across America. We work with residents and partners to close systemic gaps in health, wealth and opportunity and advance racial equity so that people and places can thrive. Since our founding in 1979, LISC has invested $26.7 billion to create more than 463,000 affordable homes and apartments, develop 78.5 million square feet of retail, community and educational space and help tens of thousands of people find employment and improve their finances.
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EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY, ONLINE EDUCATION
Ellucian | September 28, 2022
Ellucian, the leading higher education technology solutions provider, today announced a new partnership with higher education specialist consultancy, DVE Solutions, to resell Ellucian Quercus, a cloud-based Student Information System (SIS). The strategic partnership combines leading-edge technology with outstanding implementation expertise, enabling Australian higher education institutions to deliver on their digital transformations and drive tangible growth in a rapidly transforming sector.The newly signed deal positions DVE as the go-to-market partner for Quercus in the Asia-Pacific region, taking full advantage of DVE's reputation for delivering exceptional outcomes for educational institutions. With this agreement, Ellucian expands its already impressive partner ecosystem – the largest of its kind – which provides customers with access to digital expertise, solution providers and specialised systems.
"In Australia, 198,000 (13%) of students drop out before completing their chosen course each year. Given this, student retention and engagement are top priorities for higher education, and our Quercus platform is designed to support student success along the entire spectrum of the student journey,With DVE helping us drive adoption of Quercus, we're aiming to expand digital opportunities for higher education institutions that will directly impact student outcomes."
Keith Hawkes, Vice President, Australia for Ellucian
DVE Solutions CEO, Jo Schneider, added, "We continually hear the challenges around collecting and using student information, providing seamless process for students and staff, and meeting government statutory reporting requirements. The partnership with Ellucian will allow us to deliver end-to-end solutions that ensure efficiency and compliance.Designed especially for higher education, Quercus enables institutions to efficiently manage records, streamline staff efforts and deliver a convenient, connected student experience. The cloud-based student information system features a modern architecture, enabling institutions to adapt seamlessly as functional and technical needs change, offering easy integrations with non-Ellucian solutions as well.
About Ellucian
Ellucian is the market leader charting the digital future of higher education with a portfolio of cloud-ready technology solutions and services. From student recruitment to workforce analytics; from fundraising opportunities to alumni engagement; Ellucian's comprehensive suite of data-rich tools gives colleges and universities the information they need to lead with confidence. Working with a community of more than 2,700 customers in over 50 countries, Ellucian keeps innovating as higher education keeps evolving. Drawing on its comprehensive higher education business acumen and suite of services, Ellucian guides its customers through manageable, sustainable digital transformation—so that every type of institution and student can thrive in today's fast-changing landscape. To find out what's next in higher education solutions and services, visit Ellucian at www.ellucian.com.
About DVE Solutions
DVE Solutions drives powerful change in educational institutions with a holistic approach that considers People, Process, Structure and Technology. DVE's team of specialists in system implementation, technology and change ensure that every project is undertaken with the right people doing the right work.
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CORPORATE LEARNING SYSTEMS
Cornerstone OnDemand | September 08, 2022
Cornerstone OnDemand, Inc., a global leader in adaptive HR solutions, announced today that BBVA, a leading financial institution, is leveraging Cornerstone’s tools to develop and enhance its employee growth strategies and manage various talent areas, including recruitment, assessment, learning and mobility. More than a decade ago, BBVA began a digital transformation process that has accelerated in recent years as a result of the pandemic. The new jobs and competencies needed to ensure a successful business transformation represent a significant challenge, requiring an agile response from a talent development perspective. BBVA understood that one of the keys to adaptation was to accelerate and modernize its learning strategy for its workforce. This led the organization to create several innovative talent projects, each with the goal of giving its employees the most accessible and personalized learning and development tools. "Employees are the backbone of every great company," says José María Monge, BBVA's global Head of Talent Solutions and Head of Talent and Culture South America. “Therefore, investing in their learning and development has become a priority. Cornerstone has allowed us to create an ecosystem of interconnected tools that help us find, retain and train the best talent in our organization in a more agile way, as well as adapt to our current needs."
Some of BBVA's most successful projects to date include:
B-token Model
This initiative uses gamification to make the online learning platform experience more rewarding, interactive and entertaining. Increased learning platform activity as a result of this innovative approach, while encouraging employees to continue to participate in training and development activities. Managed through Cornerstone's e-commerce solution, each course has an associated number of B-tokens, which are awarded to employees upon completion of the training. The more they increase their B-tokens balance, the more access they receive to additional advanced training, including a master's degree. Understanding that a company's know-how often resides with individuals, employees can also earn B-tokens by teaching specific skills to their own colleagues. The B-token model encourages more experienced employees to share their knowledge with other colleagues promoting knowledge sharing and boosting expertise at a Group-wide level. "B-token have enabled our employees to access any training content of interest to them, whether online, virtual or face-to-face. In addition, it has great advantages for the bank as it allows us to promote those actions linked to our strategy, incentivising learning and creating a culture of growth and development," says José María Monge.
“The Camp" Project
The Camp is an initiative created by BBVA and accessed through Cornerstone. It has been designed to accelerate the "reskilling and upskilling" of employees. After identifying 14 core capabilities, BBVA designed training journeys with three levels of specialization. To promote the completion of these journeys, it developed internal gamification through the creation of The Camp. The game consists of a camp where each training journey becomes an expedition and each employee is a hiker, a beginner mountaineer or an advanced mountaineer, depending on how they progress in their expedition. The Camp gamification is accessed through the Cornerstone platform, as both tools are connected. Performance feedback and assessment Evaluating ongoing performance of BBVA employees is a continuous process that culminates in an annual evaluation with a 360-degree view. It incorporates performance feedback from managers, peers, collaborators, as well as colleagues from other areas that the employee may have worked in. BBVA integrated Cornerstone’s evaluation solution with Google Cloud to maximize efficiency in data consolidation process and results analysis, also supporting calibration workflows and customized growth and development plans.
“At Cornerstone, our greatest satisfaction comes when our clients take our solutions and create innovative strategies to nurture talent,BBVA has shown great initiative and creativity, adapting our tools to the specific learning and performance needs of its employees. We look forward to continuing to expand our partnership and helping BBVA grow,"
Marc Altimiras, AVP Cornerstone South
About BBVA
BBVA is a customer-centric global financial services group founded in 1857. The Group has a strong leadership position in the Spanish market, is the largest financial institution in Mexico and it has leading franchises in South America. It is also the leading shareholder in Turkey’s Garanti BBVA and has an important investment, transactional and capital markets banking business in the U.S. Its purpose is to bring the age of opportunities to everyone, based on our customers’ real needs: provide the best solutions, helping them make the best financial decisions, through an easy and convenient experience. The institution rests in solid values: Customer comes first, we think big and we are one team. Its responsible banking model aspires to achieve a more inclusive and sustainable society.
About Cornerstone
Cornerstone powers the future-ready workforce with adaptive HR solutions designed to unite technology, data and content and inspire a work environment of growth, agility and success for all. With an experimental, AI-powered, skills-based system designed for the contemporary workforce, we help organizations modernize their learning and development experience, deliver the content that matters most from anywhere, accelerate talent and career mobility, and establish skills as the universal language of growth and success across their enterprise. Cornerstone serves more than 7,000 clients and 90 million users and is available in 180 countries and 50 languages.
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