Fast Company has recognized Kaplan’s Career Core, an innovative new service for institutions of higher learning that helps students prepare for their first jobs and ongoing career success, as part of its 2022 World Changing Ideas Awards in the Enduring Impact: 15+ Years in Business category. Kaplan’s Career Core is a first-of-its-kind initiative that uses a shared model to provide valuable services and resources that are difficult for an individual university to offer at scale: student access to general and industry-specific advisors and world-class, academically-rigorous, asynchronous career course curriculum.

Career Core helps extend and scale the capabilities of even the most cutting-edge career service offices, especially to students with diverse backgrounds and needs. For campuses looking to address budget and operational efficiencies, Career Core can also serve as an affordable means to motivate and equip every student to be career ready.

“At Kaplan, when we first came up with the concept of Career Core, we knew this could be a game changer for colleges looking to transition their students from the classroom to the world of work. This recognition by Fast Company is a powerful testament to our mission, values, and what we can achieve,” said Brandon Busteed, chief partnership officer and global head of learn-work innovation at Kaplan. “Innovative partnerships can help reinvigorate higher education, and we are looking forward to growing these services in 2022 and beyond.”

Career Core includes access for students to connect with industry- and role-specific advisors across a broad range of high-demand industries such as data science, technology, finance, marketing, healthcare, engineering and management, among others. It also includes rigorous and engaging career development content and activities designed in partnership with Wake Forest University’s nationally recognized Office of Personal and Career Development.

“Career Core engages and equips ALL students—on their time. It elevates career development and readiness to the center of the college experience,” said Andy Chan, vice president, innovation and career development at Wake Forest University. “We are delighted about this recognition from Fast Company and excited to continue partnering with Kaplan for our own students and every other institution that wants all of their students to be truly career and life ready.”

Now in its sixth year, the World Changing Ideas Awards showcase honorees in a host of diverse categories. A panel of eminent Fast Company editors and reporters selected honorees from a pool of thousands of entries across transportation, education, food, politics, technology, health, social justice, and more.

Fast Facts about Kaplan’s Career Core

• The select group of leading higher education institutions and organizations that joined Career Core in September 2021 as founding members are: Adelphi University, Florida International University, Point Loma Nazarene University, University of Arizona, University of Montana, Wake Forest University, and Kappa Alpha Order.
• In researching the unique career development needs and experiences of college students today, Kaplan conducted extensive interviews of college presidents, provosts, career services leaders, employers and students to identify key elements of a successful career services experience and designed Career Core accordingly.
• Kaplan, which provides individuals, institutions of higher learning and businesses around the world with a diverse array of services, currently generates more than $1 billion in economic impact for its university partners across the globe as a multi-purpose strategic partner. Its services for university partners include international student recruitment, online degree management and white-labeling of industry-recognized credential courses.

Kaplan is currently seeking its next 10-15 innovative university partners to join the Career Core community. Interested partners can learn more and request a conversation here. Reporters interested in covering this growing sector of the higher education landscape can contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com or 917.822.8190.

About Kaplan

Kaplan is a global educational services company that provides individuals, universities, and businesses with a diverse array of services, including higher and professional education, test preparation, language training, corporate and leadership training, and student recruitment, online enablement and other university support services. With operations in 28 countries, Kaplan serves more than 1 million students each year and has partnerships with 1,000-plus universities, colleges, and schools/school districts, and more than 4,000 businesses globally. Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC). For more information, please visit http://www.kaplan.com.

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"This recognition by Fast Company is a powerful testament to our mission, values, and what we can achieve,” said Brandon Busteed, chief partnership officer and global head of learn-work innovation at Kaplan.