OspreyPro is a progressive four-level digital badging program targeting students’ career and professional development throughout their college career. This program equips students with essential soft skills and core competencies desired by employers across all fields and industries. Students will gain knowledge, skills and experiences needed to select suitable majors and career options, engage employers for internships and jobs or present effectively to graduate schools. Completion of badge requirements at each level cultivates proactive students taking the necessary steps to gain a competitive edge and be career-ready by graduation.
Learning content aligns with Career Services’ mission and research conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), which identified the following competencies impacting student success: Career & Self-Development, Communication, Critical Thinking, Leadership, Professionalism, Teamwork and Technology.
Career Services invites faculty partners to integrate career in the curriculum through this program.
Faculty Partner Steps: 1) Create assignment in Canvas - we will provide student directions 2) Forward class roster
3) Assign grade - students will upload official verification of badge completion
Contact Manny Velasquez, Director of Career Education, m.velasquez@unf.edu, to provide feedback or discuss next steps.
“Every student in our program (Kinesiology) completes at least two of the badges and we believe that these online learning activities really help to prepare students for their internship experiences.” Curt Lox, PhD, Clinical and Applied Movement Science - BCH
“Assigning OspreyPro in my Professional Opportunities course provided students with additional feedback on professional materials and offered vital practice in communicating skills to potential employers. There is noticeable improvement in their job application materials, and they are more highly engaged with Career Services. Having students participate in this professional development program is an essential component for students’ career readiness upon graduation.” Elizabeth R. Brown, Ph.D., Assistant Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences - COAS
OspreyPro has been a game-changing tool that really emphasizes and strengthens the skills that prospective employers are looking for in their new recruits. This level of career readiness gives our students a competitive advantage as they start their careers. Michael J. Kilbane MSCJ, Instructor and Internship Coordinator, Criminology & Criminal Justice – COAS
“For the John A. Delaney Student Union, the OspreyPro initiative has enhanced our student’s employment experience by encouraging early engagement in professional development and helping students see their roles as more than jobs, but as opportunities to build transferable career competencies. Students who have completed or are working through the OspreyPro badges have demonstrate increased confidence in their abilities and a clearer understanding of how their skills can apply to their future careers. OspreyPro has strengthened our ability to intentionally integrate career readiness into each of our student employment roles by providing a consistent structure for skill development, reflection, and professional growth.” Virginia Thornton, Assistant Director Event Services & Professional Development, Student Union Department
