The College of Central Florida Ocala campus opened its new Center for Career Development on Tuesday as students, faculty, alumni and employers toured the space during grand opening activities.
“We're excited about the opportunities for our students,” said College of Central Florida President James Henningsen, adding that the Center will help the business community and get jobs filled.
The Center is located at the College of Central Florida’s Ocala Campus Enterprise Center and provides students with resources, including a professional clothing closet, professional networking and connections to prepare them for the future. The area is also home to the Connection Hub by Fastenal, a comfortable collaborative space for networking events and conversations.
One innovation at the Center for Career Development is access to virtual reality headsets. that allow students to immerse themselves in different fields and gain practical experience.
“The headsets give you an opportunity to explore various careers,” said Jennifer Fryns, vice president for workforce development and innovation. “Not only can you experience some simulations in that field, you can respond to a car accident if you’re thinking about becoming a paramedic, or work on an airplane if you’re thinking about going into avionics.”
Attendees at the grand opening had the opportunity to test out the VR headsets. Javier Vasquez Vasquez, a CF student majoring in building and construction, said he quickly gained an idea of life as an architect.
“I did the architect job and I was reviewing the architect's work,” Vasquez said. “And for me, since I want to be a construction manager, I like that I got some experience in seeing how the architect throws in the work and how I would implement it in my own work.”
Jorge Santiago Lopez, a student majoring in engineering technology, advanced manufacturing and specialization, said the VR headsets allowed him to experience a different occupation. He chose to become an electrical engineer in virtual reality.
“If you're still wondering about what kind of job you want or what you want your day-to-day life to be, it could be really helpful for that,” Lopez said.
The renovations to the Center for Career Development will also allow for full implementation of Handshake, a platform that many colleges and universities use to provide direct connections between employers seeking candidates and students and alumni looking for jobs and internships.
Students can receive help with their Handshake profiles, and CF can curate jobs available on the platform, said Fryns.
Fryns also expressed her excitement about career assessments. In the new facility, students can use the computers to answer a series of questions that can help them discover their skills and match them with different careers.
The Center offers resumé-building for students to assist with professional networking. Marketing manager Melissa Ziegler emphasized the importance when interviewing for a job of having an established resumé that demonstrates an individual’s skills and experience.
“When that interview comes across my desk from HR, the first thing I glance at quickly is their resumé,” Ziegler said. “And then for us, coming in here and being able to help students with resumés, help do mock interviews and prepare them for their first career, their next career and whatever that looks like.”
The new Center for Career Development encourages people throughout the community to connect.
“Partnerships and the employers have always been on the lookout for our students,” said Juan Arias, a College of Central Florida Perkins grant specialist. Federally funded Perkins grants help pay for career and technical education at the secondary and postsecondary levels. “They know the value of the students and the experience that they’re getting here.”