In the Fall of 2018, M. Fernanda Pineda (Florida International University), Felisa Tibbitts (Teachers College, Columbia University), and Jorge Enrique Delgado (University of Pittsburgh) received the CIES Innovation Fund Award for their project, “Academic and Non-Academic Career Preparation Workshops in Comparative and International Education.” The amount of the CIES Innovation Fund award is $10.000.
The purpose of the project was to analyze the gap between the skills attained in graduate school and those needed in non-academic jobs in the field. The project started from their keen observations on the changing trends of employment in the field of Comparative and International Education. These changes imply challenges for recent graduates or those about to graduate with a doctoral degree. Academic positions are harder to find and secure, and other areas of technical positions continue to grow.
Dr. Delgado and his team conducted a Needs Assessment and Data Analysis with doctoral students and recently graduated doctors in Comparative and International Education, which was completed in the Spring of 2019. Results of the assessment were presented at the 2019 CIES Conference in San Francisco. The team then conducted a series of webinars that were completed by the Fall 2019. The topics of the webinars were selected and designed based on the findings of the needs assessment.
The first webinar was on September 13, 2019. It brought up topic of “Research and Evaluation: Building a Bridge of Knowledge and Skills”, which was designed and facilitated by Fernanda Pineda, with guest speaker Ally Krupar (Save the Children). The purpose of this webinar was to outline necessary skills that carry over from research to the field of monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and to equip recent graduates or those about to graduate with a doctoral degree for M&E jobs. Participants also gained knowledge on other technical M&E requirements, guidelines, and tools that are useful to practice and study while still in graduate school. Registered participants for this webinar were 80.
The second webinar was on September 27, 2019. It covered topic of “Working as a Consultant -- Identifying and Acquiring Comparative and International Education Opportunities”, designed and facilitated by Felisa Tibbitts, with guest speaker Lydia Ruprecht (UNESCO). The purpose of this webinar was to provide participants with the skills to identify consulting opportunities, networking, bidding (which includes proposal writing, estimating labor, and costs), as well as tips on negotiating terms (contracts, Terms of Reference, invoices, and reports). Registered participants for this webinar were 110.
The third webinar was on October 11, 2019. They discussed ideas on “Project Management”, designed and facilitated by Jorge Enrique Delgado (instructor and program coordinator with IISE, the SofEd, and the Center for Latin American Studies), with guest speaker Chad Dorn (consultant and program manager for Leading the Movement)--both are Pitt alumni. This webinar provided participants with basic skills to implement in project development and management. Registered participants for this webinar were 86.
Dr. Jorge Delgado can be reached at jed41@pitt.edu