(ThyBlackMan.com) “Historically black colleges and universities are defined by the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, defines an HBCU as: …any historically black college or university that was established prior to 1964.
The competition for earning internships, scholarships, and employment is a work of Branding, Marketing, Networking and strategically placing yourself where you’re seen by the industry you’re interested in. Creating a Brand that has SWAG and draws interest and attention to the abilities, talents and skills of HBCU students. Mailing resumes is no longer an option, being recognized, respected, and revered by employment recruits cannot happen the senior year of higher education, it is a process that is built from the freshmen year to graduation day.
Employment recruiters have changed the way they recruit because many HBCU and PWI students do not have the necessary 
employment skills.
Too many HBCU students still don’t get it, that they need tech skills beyond XBOX/Wii, Facebook likes, Instagram hearts, and others.
Employers are not looking for people who can just do a job, they are looking for “Human Capital” that excel and have marketable skills that are beyond just academic excellence.
In today’s corporate and academic world a bachelor’s degree is just a step up from a high school diploma. The need is for advanced diplomas, certifications and other critical skills that are needed in a global economy.
Skills in Social Media, Digital Media, Literacy Media and the list continues when dealing with digital environments. Young corporate talent must Brand themselves with multi-talented skills that are marketable, scalable, diversified and bring value to their “Human Capital” as graduates or soon to be graduates of HBCU’s.
To understand the skill sets needed HBCU students need to view the employment resources or want ads and view the skills necessary before they can even get invited to an interview. HBCU students must have the critical thinking and higher order thinking skills necessary to build on.
HBCU students in too many cases do not have the knowledge skills out of high school so the use of remedial programs for HBCU students are necessary.
Instruction in my Educational Technology class is not based on assessments it is based on real life project development, using YouTube to reinforce instruction, I use student lead instruction and project based learning. Students have ownership and are held accountable. HBCU students must know how to participate in learning communities as in educational environments and corporate environments where productivity matters.
HBCU students are learning that if HR staff are not excited and are not attracted to the potential candidate(s) they lose out so they must ramp up their articulation, speaking and presentation skills.
Referencing videos: HBCU students should care how they are perceived, employers are looking for people with solid tech skills, and soft people skills for great customer service, diversity is being embraced more because people of color and culture are out growing PW’s (predominantly whites).
HBCU students need to understand they are life-long learners, they cannot stop learning, growing and reaching for more opportunities. HBCU students connect with career counselors for resources that match the academic, intellectual skills sets to get set for graduation so once graduation is completed they can jump right into a position waiting for them.
One of the best things HBCU schools provide is a comfort and a unification of culture and spirits. A quiet urgency to learning and growth, quoted from Memoirs of a Young Black Woman, “Some (Blacks) are still in the dark and have become so comfortable, not to mention assimilated in society, with the way society perceives us and is blinded by small social injustices that exist today.” This show that there is value and transformative opportunities for HBCU students that are prepared and empowered with knowledge, to understand who they are and where they have come from, this knowledge allows them to grow in the future.
Resources: Did You Know?????
2014 https://youtu.be/XrJjfDUzD7M
2013 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMpV51rk0dI
Our Workforce Is Changing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XIQkDldpmI
Staff Writer; William D. Jackson
Find out more about this talented writer over at; OCS For Education.