Speaker: Eric Leftwich , Chief Revenue Officer, jobZology / PathwayU
Please state your full name, title, organization, and the award name.
Eric Leftwich : I'm Eric Leftwich, Chief Revenue Officer of JobZology, creators of PathwayU. We are proud to be an award winner of the NACE 2023 Business Affiliate Innovation Award.
Talk briefly about your program and what sparked you to develop it.
Eric Leftwich : Here at PathwayU, we've always believed that there had to be a better way to connect students to a fulfilling and meaningful life after graduation. PathwayU was invented to use a predictive algorithm and to offer a platform to a learner that they could not only have self-discovery, but exploration, and then a full connection to a meaningful and fulfilling life. You may know us as the "Purpose People" because we hold a patented algorithm on the way that we match a learner to find purpose in that lifetime.
What were you trying to achieve? Did you achieve what you expected?
Eric Leftwich : We created PathwayU to ensure that everyone has a chance to find a meaningful work life and the right education pathway to get there. After eight years of service in postsecondary, we realize now that students are attaining higher GPA, achieving better retention results at a university. And reflecting back on that major, they chose, with the greatest sense of return on their education investment.
Were there any surprises—any results you weren’t expecting?
Eric Leftwich : In our product lifetime, we've been really surprised at the way schools have used PathwayU beyond the career center. We now see institutions using us in their marketing plan and their recruiting plan, their retention plan in the classroom. I dare say part of the pedagogy. Now we're seeing data, not just that we've impacted the student's life, but we've also impacted the institution's life. And for that, it's a win-win.
How did you develop this program? What processes did you use?
Eric Leftwich : Aside from the validated science and large numbers of years of research that went into the development of the software itself, PathwayU really approaches the student from three parts, self-discovery, exploration, and connection. That interface is delivered in a web browser, web form. And the development of advancements are really offered by feedback from the students as well as feedback from the career services folks.
From your perspective, what was the single most important outcome of this program?
Eric Leftwich : The single most important outcome of our program is when a student realizes, very quickly, what they should major in, how to get connected to the right path of education. Graduate, reflecting that they're gonna have a meaningful purpose-filled life after graduation and become a lifelong learner.
If someone wants to replicate your program, what do they need to know upfront (the first steps to take, potential pitfalls to watch for)?
Eric Leftwich : Of course, PathwayU is a proprietary software, but for schools that are looking to build programs that could perhaps replicate or be similar to PathwayU, I say three things: Know what your problem is today, and what your problem is going to be tomorrow. Look for solutions or platforms that can not only fit the need now, but grow into the solution that you're gonna need it to. And for goodness sakes, make sure whatever you do guides a learner to the connection of life after learning.
