As the innovations of a technology-driven, competency-based, online university education continue to make waves in the field of higher education, observers in the media and academia are taking notice. WGU has caught the attention of the national news once again, cited as an example of how online education can be a big help in the job search.
TIME magazine earlier this month asked, "Can an online degree really help you get a job?" They looked at the different approaches to online education out there, and they honed in on WGU’s industry-focused model as a standout approach that has translated to increased opportunities for graduates.
"WGU administrators allow employers to consult on curriculum development and other aspects of the program; in return, WGU graduates are frequently hired by many of those companies," TIME wrote. For example, HCA Healthcare is a key contributor to WGU’s online nursing degree programs, a relationship that has resulted in hundreds of WGU grads being hired by HCA over the years.
Of course, the industry councils who help WGU define the competencies for our online degree programs mean the curriculum is valuable industry-wide—it’s not just the council members who end up hiring WGU grads, but their counterparts in other companies and corners of the job market also do. That’s because curriculum guided by the needs of employers creates graduates with the knowledge and skills employers are looking for.
