ASU CareerCatalyst Launches “Professional Skills for Everyone,” a Game-Changing New Resource for Professionals

ASU CareerCatalyst launched its new “Professional Skills for Everyone” series today, beginning a roll-out of innovative new courses that aims to raise the bar on “soft skills” education for working learners.

Professional skills — like communication, emotional intelligence and teamwork — are critical for success in the workplace. Many professionals haven’t had the opportunity to learn them in an educational setting — until now.

CareerCatalyst, the career education focus area within ASU’s Learning Enterprise, collaborates with experts from across ASU’s schools and colleges in the development of career education programs. CareerCatalyst programs have served more than 164,000 learners in the past year.

The Professional Skills For Everyone series combines cross-disciplinary expertise from ASU experts with engaging, industry-leading technology and pedagogy.

The result is a series of on-demand programs that equip learners with skills they can put into practice immediately and give professionals a competitive edge in rapidly-changing workplaces.

Empowering Arizona for the future of work

It’s no secret that advances in technology are changing the U.S. workforce and in-demand career skills with accelerating speed. The half-life of many technical skills is less than 2.5 years. In this rapidly-changing environment, soft skills are becoming increasingly vital.

Not only are they essential, they provide a clear advantage in the talent marketplace. “We frequently hear from employers that soft skills are important for employees at every level,” says Meredyth Hendricks, Head of ASU CareerCatalyst. “Historically, there has been a lack of high-quality programs on the market that have taught these skills directly.”

“Candidates with strong professional skills are highly valued by employers because they demonstrate an ability to fit into new working environments, to collaborate effectively with colleagues, and to continue to learn and develop over time.”

Training contextualized in real-work scenarios

Sending clearer emails. Effectively managing conflict. Leading successful meetings. Professional Skills for Everyone teaches skills that learners can use immediately — and that’s by design.

“We worked with faculty from disciplines across ASU, including business, psychology and more, many who are leading experts in their fields,” says Stuart Rice, director of learning design at CareerCatalyst.

“We focused on distilling the most impactful skills into digestible, actionable tips. Every skill is placed into a real-work context — not a theoretical one — so learners can walk away with career-catalyzing skills right away.”

Learners will also earn ASU-backed certificates and digital badges to add to their resumes and LinkedIn profiles.

At $49 per course and $149 for a four-course certificate, the Professional Skills For Everyone series is designed to be as accessible as it is actionable. The series consists of nine certificates, with courses covering the most impactful professional skills:

Expanding opportunity and economic mobility

In today’s changing economy, professionals at every stage of their career need to continue acquiring new skills. CareerCatalyst, backed by the expertise of ASU faculty and motivated by ASU’s charter, is uniquely positioned to meet the demand for next-generation skills training.

“Learning is a life-long journey,” says Maria Anguiano, Executive Vice President of ASU Learning Enterprise. “At ASU, it’s our mission to break the rigid and linear design of the traditional U.S. education system and provide more economic opportunities for all. To that end, we’re harnessing the tremendous assets and expertise from across the university and making these learning opportunities accessible to all.”