Let's Talk UNLV

Wesley Knight 0:00
This is a Kun V studios original program. The content of this program does not reflect the views or opinions of 91.5 jazz and more the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, or the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education. Hello,

Dr. Sammie Scales 0:19
everyone, and welcome to another episode of Let's Talk UNLV today. We have a very special guest. We have Dr Nicole Hudson, Director of Career Services and workforce development. So welcome Dr Hudson, thank you.

Dr. Nicole Hudson 0:33
Thank you for having me. I want to correct you my title. I'm Executive Director of Workforce Education,

Dr. Sammie Scales 0:38
Executive Director. We'll make sure we get that right. No worries. Thank you for having me. Yeah, thank you so much for being here. I really appreciate you accepting the invitation. So as I start all the shows, I'd definitely like to know your origin stories. You know where to go to school, how you know, bachelor's, master's, your doctorate, and the different positions you had here at UNLV, that leads you to the position that you're in now. Well,

Dr. Nicole Hudson 0:59
thank you for asking. So I was a non traditional learner. I was young. I left home early, but went to a community college. Went to several community colleges in California where I grew up. So went to probably four or five, about maybe two years in, I transferred to the University of Arizona and went to U of A and, you know, I just, I think I was struggling as a full time student. I was working full time, and I got married young, so I was married, and I'm trying to get all the demands was a little challenging. Ended up finding this place called University of Phoenix, and it worked for me as a working adult. And finished my my undergrad degree there, so I got my bachelor's in Business Administration masters, an MBA, got an organizational master, management masters, and really my career took off in opening up campuses for them across the south southeast. I lived in Houston, Atlanta. At one point, I was the vice president of North Carolina, and then lived in Virginia, and then made my way back life. Had life for me. Made my back to Vegas in 2013 and so as part of that, I just buckled down and worked on my doctorate. To be honest with you, I came back home, lived with my mom, me and my two kids, and she allowed me to work on that doctor. And I'm so grateful to be able to have that year to concentrate and get it done. It started it before. So finished my doctorate at Argosy University. So I lived in Vegas about 20 years ago, 20 years before. So talk about a full circle moment coming back. And then I teach as well at universities. But it was real important to me to be able to work at UNLV, knowing that I was going to be in this community, knowing we are the game in town. It was important for me at this stage of my career to get back and so just to share, because I opened up all those campuses and I worked for online learning. My first job at UNLV was the Associate Director of Campus relations for the Office of Online 2019 I started, and my job was to help faculty learn how to teach online. And so I had a wonderful team of technologists. And as you know, 2020 hit, and we were busy teaching faculty how to teach online. Yes. And so out of all those experience, though, I had, again between HR and management and my other degrees, I'm so excited to be in this position. I've been in it for two years. It is a combination of academia being able to talk about the programs and teaching and best practices, but I blend that with industry. So my job currently is being out in the community, talking to employers and then helping our academic affairs department translate that into what our workforce needs today. So I am in the perfect position. I'm so excited that, again, all those years of working, I've been in higher ed about 30 years, and so being able to pull that together for this time in this community, it's pretty exciting.

Dr. Sammie Scales 3:57
Wow. So you, when you meet with these companies, you're meeting with some of these big companies that's located here in Las Vegas. Yeah,

Dr. Nicole Hudson 4:02
big, medium sized, also companies coming to Las Vegas. So part of my partnership is working with organizations such as the Las Vegas global economics Alliance, where they are trying to recruit companies to come to Vegas. And one of the things companies ask about is our workforce and who are, who's at the hell and so I get to talk about our student stories. Tell them, you know what we have, what programs align, and if there are needs we talk about also, maybe creating some programs, maybe it's a micro credential. How do we find that talent? And so, yeah, it's pretty exciting. Wow.

Dr. Sammie Scales 4:35
So there are opportunities, then, for students to be graduating and going straight into some of these businesses that you have these relationships with, Absolutely,

Dr. Nicole Hudson 4:42
in fact, one of the partnerships I've set up in the past year is with the Las Vegas chamber. And so our biggest chamber has 4000 members, again, large companies, medium, small companies, but one of the reasons they wanted to partner with us is we need to keep talent here in Nevada. Yeah. And so part of our discussions is, how do we create with those employers, more internship programs? How do we help our students know about some of these new businesses, new industries that weren't industries before, and how do we connect them? So that's my job. Is connecting dots again. I love my jobs I can play in the new, upcoming film industry that's coming to town. There's manufacturing that's continuing to grow little bit, obviously, sports and entertainment. We have a creative economy. So all of the creative jobs and what that looks like. So wow,

Dr. Sammie Scales 5:31
you definitely have an inside track on what's gonna what's to come for Las Vegas area, with these new jobs and new companies coming along, it

Dr. Nicole Hudson 5:39
is, like said, super fun. Excellent. So how did your previous

Dr. Sammie Scales 5:43
work with faculty development in online education prepare you for leading Workforce Partnership development initiatives? And how do you see the two intersecting?

Dr. Nicole Hudson 5:53
That's a great question. You know, part of the wonderful thing about online learning, and I was an online learning part of my career as well, was just knowing accessibility, flexibility, innovations that occur in an online environment, making sure also that students have a good experience. And we're doing that. I think our UNLV Office of Online is doing some great things to make sure we're not only focused on faculty preparation, that they're learning the best practices and keeping students engaged, but also we're supporting students, you know, so they're not feeling alone and that they are supported and have the resources. I think that's huge. And so that leadership, I'm very much indebted and grateful to the leader who brought me on board again, because I had a non traditional background. But how do we use those experiences today and for UNLV,

Dr. Sammie Scales 6:42
okay, so how do Career Services prepare students for the rapidly changing global job market, and what skills do students need to develop in order to be successful in those markets? Yeah,

Dr. Nicole Hudson 6:54
you know, again, jobs are changing, and employers now, again, want to keep talent in Nevada. And so our Career Services department works feverishly, not only to bring employers into campus. So we have actually a career internship fair coming up February 26 and so part of it is outreach and getting them on campus, but also we do workshops. And so before the week of our career fair, we have a prepare for the fair, which is having our employers to help students directly what they're looking for. So we do resume reviews, but we talk about, how do we articulate skills? That's the big conversation today. Yes, you're in class and you're learning you have the knowledge, but how does that translate into tangible skills and projects and things of that nature. Well, we help students tell that story, and that's what I'm excited

Dr. Sammie Scales 7:43
by. So you say you have with resume writing as well. So how would a student, if a student wants to contact your office to set up an appointment, or how do they make that appointment to actually come in for a resume review or to have a cover letter you know looked over for a job. Yeah.

Dr. Nicole Hudson 8:02
So we have on our UNLV website a career launch lock students also should be registered for handshake. That is a platform where we have employers place the jobs that are available. And part again, my work is continuing to have employers post those opportunities. So through handshake or unlv.edu, again, the Career Services website, career launch any of those things in a Google string, you'll find it, but then you can just schedule an appointment with one of our career advisors, and they're really career and life design specialists. So beyond helping with tangible products such as the resume, the cover letter, LinkedIn profiles, they help make sure you're planning your life. You know, this is one piece of life. You know, I know for myself, I have gone, in addition to my academic preparation, my doctor and org leadership, I have gone back to get certificates in real estate. I've been a financial advisor. I have several certifications in HR, and so it's about designing your life. And sometimes it's a matter of going back to get retrained up skilled and re skilled to be competitive in the

Dr. Sammie Scales 9:13
workplace. Yeah, absolutely, I definitely believe in that. So knowing what you know now with the companies that are coming with, the companies that are here, and let's say we have a student graduating this come in May, and that student decides, you know what, come to you and say, You know what, I really want to get into a master's program, but I don't know what the job market is looking like. What would you recommend for that student? What program? What type of programs rather would you recommend that the student get into? Yeah,

Dr. Nicole Hudson 9:38
well, we have a lot of in demand industries, so manufacturing is growing a lot of times. People don't think about that as an industry you want to go into, but you can still do be an accountant in a manufacturing environment. So think about industries. That's one that's coming to town and there's a lot more opportunities. So again, anything in a business man, business operations, management. Those are key areas that our community needs. I want to say there's jobs in most industries, but it is a matter of focus on the skills. Companies are looking for folks that are critical thinkers, that are willing and ready to show up, that they're adaptable to change. And I can tell you, in some cases, if it's not super technical companies are willing to train and support students, but what they can't train is on those soft skills, and so having those areas is important. You know, we also talk about our Google Sheets or Google Documents. There's one thing for doing a google doc to do a paper. But really, how do you do how do you handle these documents in an administrative setting? How do you how do you present yourself professionally in writing? I think those are, those are things that companies look for. But I would say to answer your question, it's, you know, these, these hidden gems, our government sector is also in need of talent. And the great thing about government sector, they still have pensions. And so I think sometimes they're like, oh, government work, but every job, honestly, every major we have here at UNLV, there's a job in city of Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, that needs your talent. The state, there's jobs that, again, have great pay. They have stability and a pension. Again, I think that's

Dr. Sammie Scales 11:16
important. Oh, excellent, excellent. Yeah. And so with your knowledge right now, knowing that we're kind of, sort of coming out of COVID. And I say kind of sort of because, you know, I don't think COVID is done with us yet. And I know there's been lots of opportunities for people to work at home versus having to go to an office every day. And now, you know, with the current administration that we have, they've told a lot of government employees, yeah, you got to start coming back to the office Monday through Friday. So Friday. So do you see more companies willing to extend that opportunity for employees to work from home, or are they required now to actually be in the office? I think

Dr. Nicole Hudson 11:53
they are requiring them to be in the office. And I think that's one of the changes that we see. I see it a little bit generationally. I have two children that are they're young adults. But you know, coming in the office is a part of the job, right? And being willing to do it, being able to roll up your sleeve and get the work done is important. I think there's we're seeing the trends of less flexibility in that work, but it can still be a meaningful environment and purposeful. I think sometimes we feel post COVID, like I can do my job at home, but you know me, personally, I live close to UNLV, but I come in every day. I tell I do, because there's something to be said for showing up exactly and being seen. That's the piece. You know,

Dr. Sammie Scales 12:35
yes, yes, exactly, you know. And I always, you know. I was given the option back at my former school at San Diego State to teach online or to teach in person. But I always chose in person because I could see a student's effort that's coming into class every day, asking questions, those kind of things. So that counts for me. That counts for something, seeing the student they're showing up, you know, every day for class, or whatever days they're scheduled for, asking questions, you know, being in groups to actually discuss what the topics is. So I just think there's something to be said as well about actually being there in person,

Dr. Nicole Hudson 13:08
making eye contact. You know, I never wanted to be forgotten, yeah. And I think being able to show up every day matters, yeah. And

Dr. Sammie Scales 13:16
then it also helps with those soft skills that you talked about. Are you able to get along with others in the office, Are you friendly? Are you approachable? Are you a problem solver? Are you a critical thinker? All of those things counts. So what roles do faculty and staff collaboration play in helping students become career ready, and how do you work with different departments across campus to ensure this? Oh,

Dr. Nicole Hudson 13:36
that's a great question, and I'm so happy and proud to talk about our rebel career champions network, RCC in so we're entering our second year, but it is that just that faculty staff who have signed up to say, hey, we want to create a career everywhere model and so these career champions will be able to have conversations with students. So we have representatives throughout all the colleges, and we keep them up to date and trained. I'm part of the steering committee for that group, and I also support our external engagement subcommittee. But we talk about internships. We talk about incorporating curriculum into, I'm sorry, incorporating career readiness in the curriculum, we have student advocates as well, and so this career champion network is our way again. We're in our second year of making sure students have a point of contact. Not all colleges have a career center, although we have some specialized career centers in hospitality, College of Engineering, College of Business, and then I work in a department that supports all colleges. But nonetheless, we want to make sure that students know they have access, they have resources. They have folks that are staying trained and abreast because these changes are happening rapidly. And so I'm again, I can give that. Team and update and deploy them to have those conversations within their college. There's one of me, but we have, like I said, over 90 people in this network.

Dr. Sammie Scales 15:06
Yeah, that's great. You know, I remember a year ago actually meeting you here at UNLV. It was in the month of February that I met you, and there was an event that was happening in a student union, student union called thriving authentically, where I worked alongside Imani, and that was something where you, you was a part of, and you brought talent from across the city, here in Las Vegas, and the students were able to ask real, real, genuine questions of the panel that was before them. You know, otherwise, you know, they wouldn't get to ask someone that's working, let's say at MGM, for instance, that's a director certain question. So that was something that was really, really impactful, and I've always remembered that.

Dr. Nicole Hudson 15:47
Thank you, Sammy, I do remember that's when we first met, and I am so excited and proud that we are one year later, we're still running that event. We've had it for each identity month, and even our we have Second Chance month that we acknowledge so working with our team and folks with a rebel rebound program, we were able to have an authentic conversation about what life and work is like when you've been just as impacted. And so we're again up to the first anniversary of the program, and I have some folks and friends from the raiders who are going to be there, part of the conversation one. And again, we focus on each identity month, but it is just that authentic conversations about how you show up at work, and what does it look like through your lens, from folks who are who've experienced that.

Dr. Sammie Scales 16:36
Yes, okay, fantastic, fantastic. So in your experience, how did workforce development and help local businesses, both large and small, find and retain talent. And can you share some success stories from those partnerships?

Dr. Nicole Hudson 16:48
Yeah, I think the again, the Chamber partnership and our focus on internships is one. I'm also working with other associations, and I think that's important, that associations connect with with us first of all, so we can hear the changes. So let's take, for example, our Nevada association of contractors. There's actually 450 small businesses under that group. Now we don't offer, you know, construction or welding or pipe bidders or some of the real technical pieces, but all of those companies need managers. They need accountant they need folks that are doing customer service. They need project management and so really making sure we can stay abreast of those opportunities and pass it along to students. But it does require students to come out this next week. Actually, we have this other series called Career Connections, and we're going to focus on protective services. And so for that particular event, I have Metro coming to talk about the changes Protective Services is just not cops anymore. You know, there's the technology behind it. We have this wonderful facility in town called Fusion watch talk about the eye in the sky that can see everything that's happening in this community. And they need talent. They need people and their students that have an interest in, you know, service, but also tech, to be able to run these systems. And so we're going to be able to highlight some of those things. So that's what we do.

Dr. Sammie Scales 18:13
That is excellent. That is excellent. So career mobility is a key focus at UNLV. Can you dive into the concept of career mobility and explain how Career Services help students develop skills and develop long term career satisfaction and economic success.

Dr. Nicole Hudson 18:28
Absolutely, you know, some of the programs you already alluded to, like the thriving authentically, you know, career mobility is having access to career advice and mentorship along the way, and so creating these opportunities for mixers, to be able to have students talk and meet folks, I think, makes a difference. I myself again, 30 year professional. My favorite social media is LinkedIn, because I call upon folks all the time. And so we teach those skills of how to network, how to be able to utilize those resources, how to navigate career decisions. How do you utilize your faculty, your advisors, but also how to develop the skills of problem solving. And so career mobility to us is being able to kind of navigate your career, navigate life along the way, and knowing what resources, tools and levers to pull in order to get you there. Okay,

Dr. Sammie Scales 19:21
you know, I'm sitting here noticing that this is maybe your second or third time mentioning LinkedIn. So what should a person LinkedIn account look like? You know, including the picture. What should that look like? I

Dr. Nicole Hudson 19:33
think it should be professional. I think it should be, you know, share your your background, your field. Again, I'm in a professional environment. I'm been a professional since I was 16 years old, so mine's is always pretty standard headshot, but I also share my stories and my and it's truly authentic to me. So this past week, I went to a basketball game with our Women's Council and shared that I get the I my. Job is work and play. So I get to support our students, our student athletes, that are, you know, degree seeking, majors, and to share also that I'm a part of Women's Council. So I share and post things that highlight that work. It's also my diary of what I've done. So I do, you know, maybe not post all my successes, but use it to keep my resume fresh, to highlight presentations and things that I've done so that I can showcase my my talents, but also highlight UNLV. So my hashtag is usually workforce development and UNLV, because my work is about making sure our students stay connected.

Dr. Sammie Scales 20:35
So when it comes to LinkedIn with someone like yourself, that's an executive director, and your job is to go out into the community and be a part of the community, bring these jobs in. Of course, we would expect to see those kind of things on your LinkedIn page. So how would a person that's not in that position, let's say that maybe have been on a job two or three years and trying to become established and become a professional? How would their page look? Would they they wouldn't be allowed to, like, put serious personal stuff like that in their LinkedIn with that, yeah,

Dr. Nicole Hudson 21:05
I think they can repost things from their company, that their company is doing, highlight their certifications. Again, you're always taking something, you know, think about it. You're doing your your computer trainings and getting additional certifications. So highlighting that, keeping that fresh that you do, maybe annually, conferences that you attended. Whole point is to make sure that you're staying active and relevant. Companies want to see that you're continuously learning. And I do. I describe myself as a lifelong learner, and so I showcase what that looks like. But also that's that's a great question, and fair, my job is external, so it's important to do that, but I applaud folks that I meet along the way, and some of those folks, to be honest with you, are our students today, who you know. I remember meeting a student in freshman, first year experience, and he started to get active at UNLV, very quiet student, but he post when he joined the 100 Black Men or attended another conference. And so I tag him. I shout them out. And you know, it's wonderful to see what he's doing through his his updates, but it's even more important to see him around campus and say, already caught up with you, saw what you were doing.

Dr. Sammie Scales 22:11
Wow, that actually gives me some pointers that I need to really go into my LinkedIn and do some updates. I just come back from a conference this past Friday, actually just did some training this morning on workplace harassment and that type thing, so I need to go back and do some work on Sammy. Yes. So for employers listening who want to get involved with career services and Workforce Development here at UNLV, what steps can they take to connect with students or create partnerships that benefit both their businesses and the students.

Dr. Nicole Hudson 22:43
Well, we've developed a program called Rebel employer partners program reps, and so it's on our website as well. And what that does and means is my job is to connect employers to campus. I figure out what their goals are. Look at our current offering of programs, and if we don't have them, then we create them. Maybe it's coming into a classroom, maybe it's speaking to an RSO I mentioned those Career Connections programming that we have, and so linking them to the right topic and conversation we have the thriving authentically where we are looking for employers to mix and mingle. Maybe you're not on a panel, but we need you in the audience again, my wonderful friends from the Raiders. She's not on the panel. She just wants to mix and mingle and be able to support students. And more importantly, she's like, I'm gonna bring some of my other colleagues to do so. And so my job is help plug them in. And so the rebel employer partner program allows us to do that. There is not a cost. That's our job. We just put a name around it to say, Hey, you're a partner of ours, and let's make sure we support each other. How

Dr. Sammie Scales 23:44
do you get on that mailing list to make sure that that well, the email list to make sure that you getting those emails when it come out about those kind of programs that you

Dr. Nicole Hudson 23:53
have, that's great. Well, we have our system handshake, which is for employers and students, and so we will work with our employers to be in that system. We want them to post jobs, and so that's where they'll be able to do that. In the meantime, though, I want to make sure I leave everyone with my email address. Yes, it's Nicole and I C O, L, E, dot, Hudson, h, u, d, S o, n@unlv.edu, and it is just as simple as that I am. I love what I do. I'm still working on my work life balance, but this is what I do. And so a matter of scheduling an appointment, having a conversation 30 minutes, I love meeting people. I love talking to people and just figuring it out. My job is to connect dots, and that's what I do best. And so I just help them connect dots.

Dr. Sammie Scales 24:32
Excellent. So I know you're in the department. You run the department. AJ is in your department. Who else is in your department? We have

Dr. Nicole Hudson 24:38
an executive director, Eileen McGarry, who is over Career Services, and also Cass Moore, who is our Director of Career Services and life design. So that is some of our leadership program with with the group. Again, their main work is with students, which is great. Again, I don't work as much with students. I'm the. Eyes and ears, but I want to hear and I talk to students to see what their needs are, so I can go echo those to employers and that it's a wonderful partnership again. So I'm more external facing, but we come together when it comes to employers. Great.

Dr. Sammie Scales 25:12
I'm sure that you guys have had the situation happens where our student may come to your department and say, you know, I have this really good job interview coming up. I'm prepared for the interview, but, I mean, I don't have the right clothing. So is there anything in your department where they can

Dr. Nicole Hudson 25:27
absolutely yeah, there's a wonderful clothing closet in Lee business school that we utilize, and we're also working on another partnership with the libraries for some more accessible clothing for students. But the Lee Business School closet is open to everyone. It's a hidden gem on campus, and so we point them in the right direction. Excellent.

Dr. Sammie Scales 25:47
And let me ask you this. So if money was not, wasn't an issue at all, no issue at all. What would you like to see for your department?

Dr. Nicole Hudson 25:57
That's great. You know, I just see the changing climate of work and the need to make sure students are engaging with micro credentials, internships, and that they're paid experiences, and so money is no object, just more of those experiences, because they're game changers. You know, I was an intern during my college experience, and I worked hard. Worked a lot, but it taught me so much, and so money is no object, really, making sure students have more internship program opportunities, and also making sure employers give students those opportunities, right? Gotta, gotta be able to tee them up for success, exactly.

Dr. Sammie Scales 26:35
So some of these intern opportunities are some paid, some unpaid. How does that? That's

Dr. Nicole Hudson 26:41
a great question. We endorse paid opportunities. We feel it's an equity issue. We don't want any student to not have an opportunity because due to money, you know. So we talk to employers and encourage them and support paid internships. Period. Now they can post unpaid and it's a student's choice to do that or take that opportunity. But as a as a university, our commitment is to make sure we can find paid opportunities for our students

Dr. Sammie Scales 27:09
Excellent. And let me ask this so I know lots of undergrads come to your office for services. Is it open for master students as well? Grad students as well, yes,

Dr. Nicole Hudson 27:21
and alumni, yeah. You know, folks are recreating along the way. And so I was just, actually, I was on my way here, working on a partnership with our department of education, training and rehabilitation services. So community resource. How do we continue to link alumni? Because they're having job changes, too true. And so, yeah, we are a lifetime resource for our students and alumni.

Dr. Sammie Scales 27:43
That is excellent. You know, many lots of schools don't offer that for alumni students. And let me just touch on something that you touched on earlier, for those students that have been impacted by the justice system, what kind of services or what type of jobs or you linking them? Well, do they know that there are certain employers that will hire them with their background?

Dr. Nicole Hudson 28:06
Yeah, you know, we, I will say this, a lot of employers will not post that. It is on a case by case basis. And so we do work with employers and programs such as the hope for prisoners program that's here local. So our role, really, at UNLV is to help review resume, help build that confidence, to explain gaps in the career, and what are the career gaps and how, how to overcome that in the interview. But we don't specific employers. Don't specifically post, because it is a case by case basis, okay? And so what we do is have the conversations, and it's that is one environment. When we have these conversations. We work with our rebel rebound program, and it's just for that community, so it's not going to see a whole bunch of advertising. We work with Elgin Lofton, who is amazing at that program and his community, to make sure they get what they need.

Dr. Sammie Scales 28:59
Excellent any last minute advice for students that you would like to offer, I want

Dr. Nicole Hudson 29:03
them to come to the Career and Internship there. It's February 26 it's from nine to three o'clock. It's coming around the corner. And so the best way to get engaged, and that's for freshmen through again, alumni are invited. Get a chance to practice meeting employers. Get a chance to work on your elevator pitch and get comfortable in this environment. And so yeah,

Dr. Sammie Scales 29:24
great. Dr Hudson. Dr Nicole Hudson, thank you so very much for being my guest here today. And anytime you have something you want to come over and talk about, you always welcome. The door is always open for you to come back to the podcast and talk Awesome. Thanks, Anna, thank you so much

Dr. Renee Watson 29:41
for more, let's talk UNLV. Be sure to follow us on social media, where you can get the latest updates on the show, plus great behind the scenes content. We're on Facebook at, let's talk UNLV podcast. Twitter at, let's talk UNLV and Instagram. At, let's talk UNLV pod. You.