In partnership with the N.C. Office of State Human Resources (OSHR) and UNC-Chapel Hill’s University Career Services, students from the UNC School of Education’s Human and Organizational Leadership Development (HOLD) program traveled to the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh for a Career Trek on March 6, networking and engaging with professionals from more than 10 state agencies.
Career Treks, an initiative facilitated by Carolina’s University Career Services, provides students with invaluable opportunities to engage with companies and alumni outside of the University. The events are often collaborative endeavors involving academic departments and schools at Carolina.
During the March 6 Career Trek, nearly 30 HOLD students, spanning from first-year students to graduating seniors, had the opportunity to interact with representatives from state government agencies. Each student engaged in conversations about the agency’s operations, learned about career pathways in their organization and industry, and learned how to apply the knowledge and skills gained from HOLD courses to pursue internships and post-graduate roles effectively.
“A key feature of our program is bridging classroom learning with real-world applications, often through guest speakers, leadership panels, and case studies,” said HOLD program director, Jemilia Davis, Ph.D. “Our Career Treks elevates this commitment. There was a unique buzz in the room where students were getting a new sense of confidence that HOLD was preparing them for so many different careers. I am grateful to our state government colleagues and UCS for helping us to make this happen.”
The event was hosted by Ed2NC, a collaborative effort between OSHR and the N.C. Office of Strategic Partnerships (OSP) committed to bringing together leaders in state government and higher education partners to create a pipeline of talent by connecting students and recent graduates with career opportunities in state government. Students connected with representatives from the following North Carolina government agencies in attendance:
- N.C. Department of Administration
- N.C. Department of Environmental Quality
- N.C. Department of Health and Human Services
- N.C. Department of Information Technology
- N.C. Department of Justice
- N.C. Department of Natural Cultural Resources
- N.C. Department of Public Safety
- N.C. Department of Transportation
- N.C. General Assembly
- N.C. Office of the Commissioner of Banks
- N.C. Office of Human Resources-Division of Temporary Solutions
The event’s moderator, Andrea Bennett, OSHR talent acquisition consultant and coordinator for Ed2NC, said she hopes the event inspired students on their career exploration journey. She also said she anticipates that the event ignites a spark within the students who attended, helping them discover meaningful connections that may pave the way for future job opportunities in state government, all geared towards the betterment of North Carolina.
“Each of us play a crucial role in contributing to improving the lives of North Carolinians in various ways,” Bennett said during the event’s opening remarks. “Together, we form a collective force striving to benefit our state.”
This year’s Career Trek marks the third time HOLD has partnered with University Career Services to provide students with invaluable career exploration and recruitment prospects. Last spring, a group of HOLD students ventured on the program’s first Career Trek field trip to Kelaca, a talent acquisition and advisory firm, and Mako Medical, a healthcare diagnostic laboratory, both located in the Raleigh-Durham area.
“These collaborative ventures with schools, units, and organizations on campus play a pivotal role in propelling students toward achieving their goals,” said Kelsey Williams, interim associate director of external relations, marketing, and analytics and assistant director of internships and experiential learning in University Career Services. “Employers consistently emphasize the importance of students having practical work experience or involvement in extracurricular activities. Events like the Career Trek serve as direct networking platforms, where eager employers interact with Carolina’s talented pool of students, paving the way for internships, part-time jobs, job shadowing experiences, and more.”
“As a HOLD major, it’s relevant when we look at careers in the state and working with people,” said Roxanne Dudley, a HOLD sophomore, during the post-event discussion. “There are all of these agencies that are relevant to HOLD, and we can fit ourselves within them and apply what we learn to jobs in different state departments.”
To Davis, initiatives such as the Career Trek are invaluable in helping HOLD students navigate their futures while managing their varied commitments and priorities effectively. The Career Trek with Ed2NC emphasizes the transformative impact of such collaborative efforts.
“In classrooms, it’s often hard to envision how what you are learning applies to life after graduation,” Davis said. “Career Treks offer students a glimpse into their future, highlighting how choosing HOLD as a major brightens their prospects.”
