There are many factors sending workers back to school in greater numbers than ever before, such as the accelerating pace of technological and economic change, the remote work revolution, changes in the business world that see many companies shifting their business model once a decade and entire industries retooling to tackle environmental issues. From oil and gas workers training to move into renewable energy jobs, to programmers and software engineers needing to build artificial intelligence competencies, it is now essential to go back to school to reskill, upskill, and be ready for the next wave of opportunities.
To meet the needs of this growing population of non-traditional students The University of Texas at Austin’s Extended Campus has created a catalog of more than 200 continuing, professional and online educational programs, including short courses and seminars, boot camps, certificate programs and online and accelerated graduate degrees to address the need to reskill today’s workforce.
“People tend to think of universities primarily as a place for 18- to 22-year-olds and obviously it is, but it’s also a great place for a wide range of learners,” says Art Markman, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. “Engaging people across the lifespan is central to the university’s mission for the Extended Campus—our gateway to the many continuing and professional education programs that UT Austin has to offer.”
Years, and even decades into your career, you may still be wondering what you’ll do ‘when you grow up’—and that’s okay! There are many options for propelling your career forward with Extended Campus.
Moving YOUR Career Forward
Your career reflects contributions made over a lifetime of work, and what you hope to contribute may change over time. That’s why it’s so important to intentionally take stock of where you are in your work life and ensure that where you’re headed aligns with the contributions you want to make. Whether it’s time to change careers, seek advancement in your organization or change companies altogether, it’s never too late to add some burnt orange to your resume.
Extended Campus hosts a program fair called Career Forward every spring. This event is an opportunity for career-minded individuals to network with representatives from a wide variety of career and professional education programs across UT Austin’s campus.
In past years, Career Forward was always a single-day event conducted in-person, but this year the event boasts three days of online webinars in addition to an on-campus networking event. This April, leaders from various UT Austin colleges and programs will participate in Career Forward as panelists in a series of webinars covering such topics as business and leadership, engineering, emerging technologies and executive education.
The ‘When’ and ‘How’ of Getting Involved
Career Forward 2023 begins on Wednesday, April 5 with the following schedule:
- Evaluating Education Options to Move Your Career Forward, Wednesday, April 5, Noon-1 p.m.
- Upskilling for the Future: Business and Leadership, Monday, April 10, 11 a.m.-Noon
- Upskilling for the Future: Engineering, Science and Technology, Monday, April 10, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
- Getting to the C-Suite: Mid-Career Opportunities, Tuesday, April 11 – Noon-1 p.m.
If you are able to join us on campus April 12 for our in-person Career Forward program fair, you’ll have the opportunity to network with faculty, advisors and enrollment coordinators. Speak with representatives from the LBJ School of Public Affairs, Texas Engineering Executive Education and the McCombs School of Business, to name just a few. Update your professional headshot for free and enjoy food, drinks and exciting giveaways.
If you’ve been longing to move your career forward, this is the event for you!
Learn more and register to attend at extendedcampus.utexas.edu/career-forward.
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