LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 16, 2018) — The University of Kentucky recently made a bold move to help women undergraduates become more career ready. By joining more than 25 other schools of the Forté Foundation’s Rising Star Initiative, UK will offer women undergraduates of all majors the opportunity to develop skills in five critical “career ready” areas — career exploration, personal branding, job searching, networking and professional values.
Forté Rising Star participants progress through a self-directed, interactive curriculum while earning points toward a Forté Career Ready designation. An online community offers discussions, mentorship, personal branding tips, résumé review and much more. Completion of the program and receipt of the Forté Career Ready designation is a signal to employers that these women have the skills necessary for a smooth transition to a business environment.
“The Rising Star Initiative at UK is a collaborative effort led by the Lewis Honors College, Gatton College of Business and Economics, and Office of the Provost,” said Sally Foster, director of the Center for Personal Development in the Lewis Honors College and co-leader of the project. “We are thrilled to provide the professional and career development resources that the Forté Foundation offers for our female students. It is an exciting time to get additional campus partners involved as we do a soft launch event with students in April and plan for the full roll-out in the fall.”
The student information session in April will provide details about the program, ways to get involved and leadership opportunities. It will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 11, at the Hilary J. Boone Center library. The session will be held in conjunction with a Pearls of Wisdom event scheduled for 6 p.m. at the same location. Pearls of Wisdom is a panel discussion and networking reception connecting female students with successful women from the alumni and Lexington community.
“We are thrilled to expand our already outstanding group of Forté Rising Star sponsors with the addition of the University of Kentucky,” said Elissa Sangster, executive director of Forté Foundation. “The goal of Forté Rising Stars is to help women prepare for a career, and it does that in a fun way. While they are learning, participants also network and make friends with undergrad women from other universities who are also building career skills.”
Forté Foundation is a nonprofit consortium of leading multinational corporations and top universities in the US and abroad, and the Graduate Management Admission Council. Its mission is to launch women into fulfilling, significant careers through access to business education, opportunities and a community of successful women. Forté is the leading organization that provides a national infrastructure for women at all stages of the career continuum to access the information, scholarship support and networking connections they need to succeed in business careers. Additional information about the Forté Foundation is available online at www.fortefoundation.org.
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