Humber College brought together a diverse cohort of students from various disciplines to tackle the challenges of the rapidly evolving job market at the Employability Skills Hackathon.
The event, held at the Humber International Graduate School, aimed to empower students to develop and showcase their employability skills while fostering innovation and collaboration.
The hackathon had students form teams of four to five members, each united by a common goal: to design a state-of-the-art tool that enables them to track and highlight their job-related activities. These activities were strategically aligned with the Humber Learning Outcomes (HLO) framework, which equips graduates with the essential skills and mindsets required for success in their careers and lives.
"We’re excited about the employability skills portal – a key project in Humber’s Academic Plan in support of personalizing the learning journey. Students will be able to capture the skills they have gained throughout their academic experience at Humber and learn how to articulate and demonstrate these skills clearly to employers,” said Vera Beletzan, associate vice-president, Teaching and Learning at Humber. “The employability skills portal will help students be ready for the future of work.”
The prototypes designed during the hackathon will serve as a foundation for the development of a cutting-edge employability skills portal, an invaluable resource that promises to revolutionize how students articulate and showcase their skills to potential employers.
The hackathon was an opportunity for students to showcase their creativity and also a chance to address a critical need identified within the Humber community.
"We were thrilled to invite students to be part of the hackathon to design a platform that truly meets their needs. One recurring theme that emerged through their pitches was the power of gamification in the tool. We look forward to further co-creation with students as the design progresses," said Jennifer Larson, director of Academic Strategic Initiatives.
The Centre for Entrepreneurship (CfE) played a pivotal role in the hackathon. Besma Soltan, project manager at the CfE, led a dynamic and insightful Teamwork and Collaboration workshop that enhanced participants' ability to work synergistically towards their goals.
Students embraced the event, demonstrating their enthusiasm and commitment to shaping their educational journeys. Numerous participants provided their feedback and shared their perspectives on social media, highlighting the impact of the hackathon on their personal and professional development.
Jessica Carrera Valle, who took part in the hackathon, shared her perspective, stating, "This was an opportunity to input my creativity and student perspective in something that can help current and future students and make it fun."
The winning team was The Net and it included Carrera Valle along with Shruti Parakkal, Gautam Kapur, Poon Yee Ki and Adithya Subbarao Aryasomayajula. Finishing as runners up was Team Pathfinders with members Johnattan Ramcharran, Risha Santiago, Ashley Vu and Dirgh Jani.