University of Phoenix Testing a Skills-Based Platform for Recruiters as Part of its Career-Focused Ecosystem for Working Adult Learners and Employers

University product design team collaborated to build on existing Career Navigator™ platform that helps students and alumni navigate their career journeys

University of Phoenix is supporting the JFF Horizons Summit this week, with a sponsorship and a session presentation that discusses skills mapping and innovative credentials, and is pleased to announce the collaborative testing of a skills-based job search platform designed to match employer skill needs with a talent pool comprised of participating students and alumni. The platform, UOPX Talent Source, gives employers the ability to identify students who have reported skills that match those being sought by the employer for a particular job opening.

“This platform seeks to bridge the gap between recruiters seeking skilled talent, and students who often feel they need to be 100% qualified before applying for jobs. We help employers identify talent pools based on skills while giving students the opportunity to apply for open positions,” states Sandip Bhakta, vice president, Career Services and Support at University of Phoenix. “The platform supports a more equitable talent screening process by enabling employers to adopt a skills-first approach to recruitment, and offering access to a diverse pool of candidates within the University of Phoenix student body who choose to participate on the platform.”

One year ago, University of Phoenix launched its Career Navigator™ career guidance platform to help students and alumni as they navigate their career journey. Accessed through a secure student portal, this digital career assistant gets to know students and provides personalized guidance and support tailored to their individual needs, helping them confidently move forward in their career journey.

As a new platform developed in-house by the University’s product design team members, UOPX Talent Source was informed by the concepts established with the University’s Career Navigator™. “We are committed to thoroughly understanding the needs of our students. This includes their aspiring for professional growth, and employers seeking skilled talent to meet their demands,” says Francisco Contreras, senior product manager.

UOPX Talent Source expands the University's career-focused ecosystem by inviting employers into a skills-based job search platform that enables employers to efficiently identify and target skilled candidates through access to skills profiles. Participating employers receive access to a dashboard and can add their job descriptions into UOPX Talent Source; the job descriptions are then "skills scrubbed" to generate a list of skills associated to the job which the employer reviews and validates. This is used to create a customizable talent pool size based on skills match requirements. The employer then submits the job posting, which potential candidates whose skills profile aligns with the job posting are given the opportunity to apply for in Career Navigator. The employer can use their dashboard to view data such as application views and click through rates.

“Employers face many challenges to find skilled talent and can benefit from an array of tools that streamline the talent acquisition process,” shares Leo Goncalves, vice president, Workforce Solutions Group at University of Phoenix. “The UOPX Talent Source program is part of the University’s wholistic approach to identifying solutions that enhance employer success and talent mobility.”

Driven by the evidence of shifting workforce trends, University of Phoenix created a career-focused, skills-aligned ecosystem for working adult learners and employer relationships. The ecosystem encompasses a data-driven and industry-informed approach to skills-aligned learning, authentic assessments, micro-credentials and skills badging, opportunities to have relevant work experience evaluated for potential academic credit, student support and career planning, and continued skill acquisition. The University has mapped career-relevant skills in 100 percent of associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs currently open for enrollment. Within this skills-aligned ecosystem, the University’s career-focused framework nurtures continuous skills acquisition and career enhancement.

The UOPX Talent Source platform builds on the University’s skills and career focused approach and continues to expand with enhanced functionality planned for release later this year.

About University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, skills-mapped curriculum for our bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and a Career Services for Life® commitment help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit phoenix.edu.

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