UC San Diego Extension Partners with Manpower, Right Management on Career Services

Today’s job market is increasingly complex with a growing number of careers and an ever-changing demand for new skills. According to the New York Times, between 1985 and 2010, the number of programs of study jumped from 462 to 2,260. The number of career fields have multiplied as well. In 1950, the Bureau of Labor Statistics tracked 270 fields but by 2010 that number was 840.While the growing number of growing number provides more opportunities, it also can be daunting.
 
To help job seekers better navigate their careers in an increasingly competitive market, UC San Diego Extension has partnered with career experts Manpower San Diego and Right Management to offer a wide range of career services and counseling that can be accessed both online and in person.
 
The new partnership is designed to leverage the expertise of Right Management, a global talent strategy and career management provider, and Manpower San Diego, a local provider of employment opportunities and workforce training, to provide the best, most up-to-date career resources for UC San Diego Extension’s students and alumni in a variety of formats. The services include an online, self-guided year-long program providing step-by-step advice that includes everything from self-assessment to personal branding to interviewing techniques. Other offerings include in-person group workshops on topics such as résumé writing and networking tactics that Manpower career experts will teach, as well as personal career coaching available on an hourly basis both online and in-person.
 
“UC San Diego Extension is about helping people get the skills they need in an ever-changing economy, bit when it comes to a successful career, the right skills will only get you so far,” said Josh Shapiro, executive director of Extension’s Center for Research on the Regional Economy and who oversees Extension’s career development initiatives. “We felt it was important to partner with career experts Right Management and Manpower to ensure people could translate those new skills into a satisfying career.”
 
Phil Blair, an executive officer at Manpower and author of Job Won!, said the partnership allows Extension to focus on its strength in developing cutting-edge curriculum for the most in-demand skills while providing best in-class career counseling for both the local and national market.
 
“When it comes to careers, one size does not fit all and helping people chart a successful career path means providing them with both the content and the format that works for their personality and their schedule,” Blair said. “The services offered as part of this partnership allows an individual to work on their own timetable in the privacy of their home with the online program or to work on specific topics in person with a group of their peers.”
 
Jeff Gerkin, senior vice president of North America Sales and the Global Client Team for Right Management, said it works with more than 3.4 million people each year providing in-sights and know-how that sets them apart in searching for a job.
 
“The sheer number of choices means that people really need the help of career experts to better understand what motivates and inspires them and how their skills and background brings unique value to an organization,” said Gerkin. “All of our services are about empowering the individual with the information they need to build a long-lasting and successful career.”
 
For more information about UC San Diego Extension career services offerings, visit extension.ucsd.edu/career.