QA COMMONS INC
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Mission Statement
At QA Commons, our Mission is to ensure all learners are prepared for the changing dynamics of the workforce and economy. We aspire to help all people realize upward mobility by developing a foundation of employability skills needed by all workers in all jobs.
About This Cause
QA Commons Background: Employability can be described as a set of skills, knowledge, and personal attributes that prepare an individual for successful employment and upward mobility in a career. Yet, concepts such as “career readiness” and “work readiness” remain largely undefined and are addressed at the organization or program level, rather than the system level. As a result, leaders in higher education, workforce development, and public policy struggle to find evidence-based and consistently delivered services and approaches to better link students’ education and training to job and career outcomes. With this challenge in mind, Quality Assurance (QA) Commons was founded in 2016 with a grant from the Lumina Foundation and support from the National Center for Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) to ensure all learners are prepared for the changing dynamics of the workforce and economy through a range of services – from helping embed Essential Employability Qualities (EEQs) into courses and curriculum – to training instructors and staff on employability and deploying our programmatic accreditation. In our 5-year tenure, QA Commons has engaged 34 institutions, evaluated 83 programs, accredited 14 programs, and impacted 83,000 students. Through considerable research and a national pilot project, QA Commons has identified eight EEQs that comprise a hire-worthy learner profile. We believe all disciplines need to prepare learners for employability – not just those that are specifically workforce-related or pre-professional. EEQs are necessary to continuously succeed in the workforce. These skills are universally needed across different careers and jobs. In fact, they’re not just useful and required in jobs, they form the basis for how we interact with others in various day-to-day encounter. Why QA Commons: QA Commons’ work is centered on a comprehensive and unique Employability Framework. The framework is based on our eight EEQs and and five Standards that ensure employability skills are delivered consistently and with quality across diverse organizations, institutions, and systems. Our cost-effective solutions expose instructors and staff to our Employability Framework and empower them to incorporate employability into the the educational program, regardless of discipline. QA Commons tailors cost-effective solutions that expose instructors and staff to its Employability Framework and empower them to incorporate employability into the the educational program, regardless of discipline. We work with colleges, training organizations, corrections systems, workforce agencies, and employers to: (1) Provide common definitions and a framework of “employability” and “career readiness” for all stakeholders of an organization to ensure a clear and consistent approach to employability; (2) Assess an organization's current performance in delivering employability and career readiness services to determine gaps and prioritize needs; (3) Assist students with accentuating and expressing their employability traits with employers and others; (4) Create a workplace centric culture that actively promotes and cultivates employability throughout the learner experience; (5) Deliver a set of individualized technical assistance tools, such as professional development seminars, Employability Academies, personalized coaching, and virtual courses to assist faculty, instructors, career readiness staff, and administrators to implement targeted solutions to foster employability in education, training, and career readiness; (6) Provide programmatic accreditation and employability skills badges as formal recognition of competency around QA Commons' employability proficiencies; (7) Provide customized employability solutions and assistance around any of QA Commons’ Employability Standards, such as employer engagement and career support. QA Commons Services: We offer Program Assessment services that start with an Employability Exploration Survey to engage instructors, advisors, and staff in identifying strengths and gaps in delivering employability skills. We then assess the organization's current performance in delivering employability and career readiness services to determine gaps and prioritize needs. Lastly, we develop a tailored technical assistance plan that identifies the opportunities and steps needed to improve and align employability skills with courses and programs. We also provide Technical Assistance & Professional Development Services through a set of individualized technical assistance tools, such as workshops, academies, and individualized coaching focused on embedding our 8 EEQ into curricula, effectively engaging employers, and integrating Employability Framework Standards. Through our full Framework Adoption, QA Commons awards a programmatic accreditation designation, which serves as an indicator of full Employability Framework adoption. It is the hallmark of quality in delivering education and training programs aligned to employability.