The document discusses strategies used by Springboard and Kenzie Academy to optimize job outcomes for students beyond curriculum. It notes that while curriculum is important, many other elements of the learning process impact jobs. The panel will share experiments they have run outside of curriculum, like addressing obstacles students face in becoming job ready such as financing, self-confidence, expectations. Springboard's journey involved trying self-service and study plans but found success through one-on-one mentoring and student success managers. Kenzie Academy screens applicants for non-academic traits like grit, time management, family support and growth mindset to set a different bar for success.

1. Beyond Class: Optimizing for Jobs in Higher Ed
For years, both accredited and unaccredited higher ed providers have focused relentlessly on high-quality
curriculum as the key to optimizing job outcomes. In recent years, providers have begun to recognize that
many, many more elements of the learning value chain outside of curriculum also play a critical role in
optimizing job outcomes and must be thoughtfully addressed. In this session, product leaders from two
leading next-gen higher ed providers -- Springboard and Kenzie Academy -- will share key strategies they’ve
used and experiments they’ve run outside of their curriculum to optimize for job outcomes.
Panelists
David Good
Head of Product
Vincent Huang
VP Product
Vinit Sukhija
Principal
SXSW Edu 2020 PanelPicker

2. Student obstacles to job readiness
Designing for career outcomes involves designing for multiple obstacles
💸 Financing
🎭 Self-Confidence
🐶 Community
⚖️ Expectation Gap
🛠 Usability/Accessibility
⏱ Time management
🛠♀️ Life
Learning Considerations
Other Considerations
📐 Instructional + Content
Design
🎓 Curriculum Development
📜 Assessments

3. Students need someone in their corner
Springboard’s journey to learning how best to support our students
☠️
Self-Service
Learning Path
☠️
Study Plan
🌔
1:1 Mentorship
💝
Student Success
Manager
Designed and curated
curriculum for learners
Results: Fail
Low completion rate.
Experience worked with
highly motivated students.
Enabled students to track
their own progress.
Results: Fail
Low engagement rate. Did
not impact completion
rates
Paired student with a
mentor in the field
Results: Partial Success
Pairing provided
personalization to the
student.
But not all matches were
successful
Created a role who
provides motivational
support to the learner
Results: Success
Students want to feel
seen, heard, and
(sometimes) helped.

4. Setting a different - but not higher - bar
Students drop out for reasons beyond academic performance, so Kenzie Academy screens for
those reasons. And prepares us to give them the support they need.
💪
Grit
Kenzie Application
⏱
Time
management
👨👩👧
Family support
🌱
Growth mindset