Braven Career Accelerator Expands Opportunities for Rutgers-Newark Students
- Rutgers University-Newark has expanded its partnership with Braven, a national non-profit organization, to provide career success resources to nearly 400 students.
- As part of its growth within New Jersey, Braven has opened a new headquarters in Newark and is extending its operational reach across the state.
- The Braven career accelerator is integrated into the academic curriculum as a 3-credit elective course.
Rutgers University-Newark has expanded its partnership with Braven, a national non-profit organization, to provide career success resources to nearly 400 students. The expansion, announced September 9, 2024, aims to empower students to find professional pathways and job opportunities.
As part of its growth within New Jersey, Braven has opened a new headquarters in Newark and is extending its operational reach across the state.
Program Structure and Enrollment
The Braven career accelerator is integrated into the academic curriculum as a 3-credit elective course. To ensure students have sufficient time to secure a strong internship experience before their senior year, all Rutgers-Newark students are auto-enrolled in the program during their sophomore year or early in their junior year.
The course utilizes a hybrid format. While the first and last sessions are held in person, all other sessions are conducted virtually. Available course times include Tuesday and Wednesday from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm ET and Friday from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm ET.
Curriculum and Learning Objectives
The program is designed to prepare students for a globalized and increasingly competitive job marketplace. The curriculum combines online and peer learning with interactive experiences and reflection to help students discover innate leadership qualities.
Students in the accelerator focus on cultivating hard
and soft
skills, as well as the habits of mind required to thrive in twenty-first-century workplaces. The program identifies several core learning outcomes for its participants:
- Demonstrating the specific skills and mindsets that employers prioritize during the hiring process.
- Navigating the professional workplace.
- Building a record of achievement to secure research opportunities or career-accelerating internships.
- Expanding both personal and professional networks.
- Leading based on individual assets, and values.
- Developing habits that enable students to persist through and thrive beyond their college education.
The program emphasizes that the course is challenging and requires a significant commitment from the students to achieve these professional outcomes.