Peter Schorsch
Over the last two years, the workplace has undergone a significant transformation, and many factors have contributed to this change in how businesses operate.
While workers are getting used to the new normal, what can employers expect from the new crop of college graduates entering the workplace?
Every new generation is more resilient and adaptive than the last, and that’s especially true of recent college students, many already taking the initiative to prepare for their careers — and inevitable changes — with the help of Deloitte’s Future of Work Institute.
Launched in 2021 as a pilot program in partnership with Florida State University, the Institute is a micro-credential program to foster conversations about the ways we work and how to best prepare employees of the future.
Partnering with FSU and 11 other public and private universities, HBCUs, and community colleges, Deloitte’s Future of Work Institute works to match students with successful professionals to help them prepare for, and adapt to, the changing workplace — both now and in the future.
“The whole purpose of the Future of Work Institute is to prepare students with the capabilities and begin the skill-building process to help them be successful in an environment that’s unpredictable right now,” said Darren Brooks, assistant dean and director of the Center for Human Resource Management at Florida State University.
The Future of Work Institute features seven unique content sessions, including three core labs, three ancillary activities, and one final ceremony. The lab experiences are supported by Deloitte professionals who teach proven methods and immerse students in workforce exercises. Students are faced with situations that present opportunities for collaboration, self-reflection, and pragmatic application of concepts discussed.
Deloitte does this by building upon core labs with sessions to help students acquire hard skills, including AI fluency and bot coding, as well as offering workshops on networking, resume writing, and interview skills.
Not only do students who complete the program gain a competitive advantage in the workforce, but they also can connect with peers at other institutions to gain different perspectives and strengthen their professional networks.
“The facilitators were really awesome … through this program, they have shown me different ways that I can leverage my major and what I want to do in the future,” said BriAunna Palmer, a student in the College of Business at Florida State University and Future of Work Institute participant.
Now in its second year, Deloitte will reach an additional 350 students through the program this fall at FSU and higher education institutions across the nation.
The Future of Work Institute is working to expand the program to several other Florida universities by Spring 2023.
One comment
Darren Brooks
November 11, 2022 at 9:43 am
Peter – thank you for the article on the FoWI program. In fact, we just completed our third in-person boot camp for students in late October. The programmatic focus is on three core areas – how work is evolving (what we do and how we do it) largely due to the influence of technology,
how the workplace is changing (the where and when around work), and lastly the worker (what skills are necessary for success in the future). If you have interest in learning more please let me know.
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