Technical Knowledge and Business Acumen are Key Success Factors for New Graduates, Harris Corporation Representative Says

Florida colleges and universities should hone students’ technical skills, increase business acumen and bolster diversity to help make more graduates ready to hit the ground running at companies like Harris Corporation, a company representative told attendees Thursday at Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s Degrees to Jobs Summit in Orlando.

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The business executive panel during Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s Degrees to Jobs Summit in Orlando. From left: Gov. Scott, Rick Matthews of Northrop Grumman, Krista Memmelaar of Hertz and Jim Girard of Harris Corporation. (Photo: Business Wire)

“We need graduates who are prepared to contribute immediately,” said Jim Girard, vice president, Human Resources, Harris Corporation. “We expect the demand for technical skills and the requirement for in-depth knowledge to only increase going forward.”

Girard spoke on a business executive panel moderated by Gov. Scott that centered on how students can be better prepared when they graduate.

He said colleges and universities should attract and develop more female and ethnically diverse graduates – calling diversity needs at companies like Harris “enduring.” He also cited two programs in which Harris works directly with Florida Tech (MS in Systems Engineering) and the University of Central Florida (Center for Research Education for Optics and Lasers) to develop specific technical skills as great models to emulate at other schools.

About Harris Corporation

Harris Corporation is a leading technology innovator, solving our customers’ toughest mission-critical challenges by providing solutions that connect, inform and protect. Harris supports customers in more than 125 countries, has approximately $8 billion in annual revenue and 22,000 employees worldwide. The company is organized into four business segments: Communication Systems, Space and Intelligence Systems, Electronic Systems, and Critical Networks. Learn more at harris.com.

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