
You may
have seen Malik on campus before, but we wanted to officially introduce him on
the blog, just in case you haven't had the chance to meet him yet!
Q: Hi, Malik! To get started, can you
tell us a little about yourself?
A: Sure! I’m a Philly native, from Mount
Airy. I went to Clark University in
Worcester. MA. . I currently live in
West Oak Lane with my wife and two little girls.
Like many
Peirce students, it has taken me some time to find my sweet spot. I started my career in accounting after
earning my MBA in finance, but I realized it wasn’t the path for me. After
moving back to Philadelphia, I stumbled onto a career in diversity and talent
management with an organization by the name of INROADS. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to work
at Accenture, United Way, and most recently, as Director at the Dixon House
Community Center in South Philadelphia, where I actually got to know and work
with some Peirce students and alumni.
I’ve
always been passionate about education and workforce development, so I’m
excited about working for Peirce in
higher education. I could not have made
a better career choice. And, because I am a dedicated lifelong learner, I feel right at home at Peirce and among our
students.
Q: Help break it down for us. What exactly is Employer Relations at Peirce
College, and how does it benefit our students?
A: The
role of employer relations is to build mutually beneficial partnerships with
different organizations, so that these organizations will be willing to invest
in the mission and vision of Peirce College.
What does
that mean for our students? It can mean
many things-- job opportunities, scholarships, professional development,
mentorship, and a wider resource network that’s connected to Peirce and
invested in our students. Ultimately,
the goal of Employer Relations at Peirce is to cultivate strategic
relationships that translate into
resources and opportunities that our students need to fulfill their academic,
career, and life potential.
Q: What are some things you’ve learned
since joining Peirce?
A: I’ve been a member of the Employer Relations
team for about 13 months, and it’s definitely been an interesting journey . I’ve learned a lot about the industry of
higher education, and I have learned a
great deal about Peirce--especially regarding our 151 year history of providing
working adult learners with practical, employer-valued skills and credentials.
Peirce has
a long history of aligning our offerings and innovations with the needs of
business and industry.. We have a great
history of developing corporate partnerships, as well as nonprofit, community
and government relations with the city and region. Now, we want to expand and
amplify those partnerships across sectors in a strategic and thoughtful way.
In my
conversations with those in the business community, I’m learning that there’s a
real need and appetite for higher education to re-imagine what we can offer
companies in terms of strategic partnerships.
I think Peirce has a unique opportunity and ability to do that work, and
help employers address their workforce development and talent management needs.
Q: What's the best piece of advice you’ve
learned in your own career that you would impart to Peirce students?
A: I’d
say that while functional and technical skills are important, the most
important skills in the workplace are the soft skills; things like being able
to problem solve, build trust, work as part of a team, and be innovative. Focus on those and you
can go far.
Q: This year, Peirce College has really
changed the landscape of higher education with our introduction of Peirce Fit™, a revolutionary new
learning format that allows students to choose week to week if they’d like to
attend class on campus or online. We’ve
also introduced our first
competency-based bachelor’s degree (CBE) in IT and expanded our Healthcare portfolio
to include Graduate Studies. With all of these
innovations, what are you most excited about on the Employer Relations front?
A: We’ve spent a lot of time now talking to
employers, listening to their pain points, and brainstorming solutions. With these innovations, I’m excited to start
delivering on these solutions and to begin to really dig in and address
industry concerns! It’s especially
exciting to see employers give the CBE delivery their stamp of approval. Future students can be confident that a CBE
bachelor’s degree will increase their marketability and value in the workplace!
Q: You’ll be a contributor here on the
blog moving forward. What types of topics do you look forward to covering?
A: I’ll be speaking to the new innovations at
Peirce, and how they’re relevant to employers.
I’ll also be sharing more about the evolving partnerships Peirce is
developing in Philadelphia. Finally, I’m
excited to share stories about how our students and alumni are taking advantage
of job and internship opportunities that arise, and showing the impact that
Employer Relations can have on turning their Peirce degree into a career
pathway.
Q: How can employers reach out to you to
learn more about Peirce?
A: Follow
me on twitter or LinkedIn! I’m always excited to have a conversation about how
Peirce can help address their needs.
Welcome to
the blog, Malik! We’re excited to read more of your insights.
To learn
more about Peirce’s 151 year history of providing working adults with a
customized path to employer-valued skills and credentials, click
here.