A Pathway with Many Doors – How Business Keeps You on the Go
A career in business has many perks, but the greatest is that there will never be a shortage of employment opportunities. As a business major, you can apply your knowledge to any industry, from healthcare and hospitality to agriculture and communications, and anything in between.
After all, every business needs accountants, marketing planners, and managers.
“The business industry is not for the faint of heart,” warns Paul Moore, dean of Business and Management. “Students that choose to pursue a career in business must be driven, easily adaptable to changes, and must dominate skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving. It’s a very rewarding industry with many employment opportunities, but it needs strong and determined people.”
Broward College Offers Many Certifications and Degrees in Business
Broward College offers everything from technical certificates to bachelor’s degrees. Many Associate of Science (A.S.) degrees have technical certificates embedded in the curriculum, allowing students to earn qualifications that demonstrate their skills and proficiency as they complete specific courses within their program. Even after obtaining their degree, some students qualify for additional industry-related certifications.
One of the most popular bachelor’s programs at Broward College is part of the pathway. The Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Supervision and Management offers four areas of specialization: management, human resource management, marketing and sales, and project management. Other high-demand programs such as hospitality and tourism, business analytics, marketing management, and business administration are all offered at Broward College.
Broward College Builds Your Skills Inside and Outside the Classroom
By choosing Broward College, you are guaranteed to receive a top-quality education but also extracurricular opportunities to complement what you learn in the classroom. Through student clubs and organizations such as DECA, Phi Beta Lambda (PBL), Paralegal Eagles, and Accounting Student Association (ASA), students can develop their skills set through mock presentations, creating business and marketing plans and proposals, and participating in competitions with other schools.
“The more experience students gain through these clubs, the easier it will be when they join the workforce. They will be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to confront any situation,” explains Dean Moore. “On top of that, participating shows future employers that the student possesses the quality and previously mentioned skills that are in high demand.”
The perk of choosing Broward College, Dean Moore says, is that the College understands local workforce demands as it has excellent partnerships with some of the leading employers and has researched the industry well enough to develop and offer the programs that prepare students for the current needs of the workforce as it evolves over the next decade.
The Current Workforce
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Florida ranks in the top five for employment opportunities in business and financial occupations. The industry is well-positioned in the state with higher-than-average wages and faster-than-average job growth rates compared to other occupations.
Most entry-level jobs accept an associate degree, but opportunities broaden once you expand your education level. Among the job options available to business majors are business consulting, financial and budget analysts, management training, financial examiners, advertising and promotion managers, insurance sales agents, sales managers, accounting, and financial advising.
Many of these jobs are on the high end of the pay scale. The BLS data shows that the average annual wages start around $40,000 and can go all the way up over $120,000. “It’s all about building your way up, as in any industry, the higher you go, the higher the pay,” says Moore.
A career in business can take you anywhere. See the complete list of degrees available at Broward College and start building your way to the top of the world today.
Summer is Cool for High School Students at Pre-College Leadership Institute
When summer rolls around, Ronald Irano Duncan knows his mother’s plans are not far behind. Once school lets out, she has a habit of asking her 17-year old son what he plans to do with his vacation and before he can burst out an answer, she tells him.
“You know my mom,” said Duncan, a senior at Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach. “She tells me I’m going somewhere.”
This summer, Duncan headed to Broward College, where the Pre-College Summer Leadership Institute (PLSI) welcomed high school students like him in grades 10-12 for three weeks of life adjustment training or, as the program’s brainchild says, “the employability skills that pay the bills.”
“We gauge them on a number of things – leadership, financial literacy,” said Billy Jones, the PSLI coordinator and an assistant professor of English at Broward College. “We want to see what they know, but also what they need.”
For the most part, those essentials are centered around registration in an actual Broward College course. The 46 PSLI students who enrolled this summer in “Strategy for Success -- SLS 1001” gained exposure to the tools and resources that will contribute to their success in college, well in advance of their high school graduation. That means an introduction to strategies for studying and test-taking, techniques for note-taking, skills for time management, and concepts for building leadership and emotional intelligence.
“Coming here has taught me a lot of skills that I can use throughout life,” said Noah Cihal, a 15-year-old at Hollywood Hills High School. “I’ve learned how to read a room. If I go to an interview and someone is giving off a bad vibe, I can figure out why and make it a lighter situation.”
Head-Start on College
The high schoolers are also made aware of various academic disciplines offered at Broward College and the careers they can pursue. On other days, the students take part in mock interviews, writing resumes, and cover letters or connect with adult role models from the community who visit campus to share their personal stories. For a few hours a day, over a couple of weeks in July, the students are better equipped to return to high school in the fall with three college credits as well.
Jones said PSLI is an extension of the Minority Male Initiative, a Broward College strategy that provides underserved students with the support they need to complete their college goals.
“We wanted to create an opportunity that would impact young minority men,” said Jones. “Our data confirms that minority males are more likely to drop out of college, so we had to look at retention mechanisms that will show these young men how to take initiative and become advocates for themselves.”
Make Room for Parents
Parents of the students have been greeted with such positive reviews from their children that plans for an offshoot of the bridge program are underway.
“Every year, I get parents that come up to me and ask, ‘Is there something like this for me,’” said Jones. “The parents recognize there is value for them, as well as their kids.”
Beginning in September, “Parents Mentoring Parents” plans to meet every other week on campus. So far, 13 parents from the group of 46 students in PSLI have registered.
“We are showing people we value them,” said Jones. “If we can support these parents, they will, in turn, be supporting these young men.”
Parents and their children looking for strategies for success can explore opportunities through the Pre-College Summer Leadership Institute at Broward College.
Broward College Combines Forces with Wyncode To Provide State-Of-Art Training in Information Technology
Technology dominates almost every area of our lives, from paying bills, household chores, ordering food, to communicating with friends and family across the world. It’s only logical that this is one of the fastest-growing industries. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates a 13 percent increase through 2026, which equals to over half a million new jobs.
Even with this demand for new Information Technology (IT) professionals, not everyone trained in the field will be hired.
Broward College knows how crucial it is to equip students with the skills necessary to give them an advantage over other candidates with similar qualifications. In its latest effort to offer the latest training, the College has partnered with Wyncode , an award-winning organization that provides web development training to hundreds of companies and individuals since 2014.
New Partnership Refreshes Program
As a result of the partnership, the College will this fall integrate five new courses into its bachelor degree in Information Technology Web Development specialization. Wyncode will offer support through its training providing hands-on experience focused on industry-related hard skills.
“When the opportunity to work with Broward College, which has over 60,000 undergraduate students, came up, we were extremely excited. We are looking forward to Broward College students accessing Wyncode's award-winning curriculum and learning the skills that today's technology companies are looking for," said Juha Mikkola, co-founder, and CEO of Wyncode.
Wyncode will work in conjunction with Labcode, a company that offers access to coding camps in South Florida to middle school, high school, and college students. Together, they will assist with workshops and boot camps to students enrolled in select Broward College web development courses. The hands-on workshops will be available to approximately 15-30 students per semester, and they will earn 15 of the 27 specializations credits required for the IT Web Development bachelor’s degree.
Registration for the program is still open. For more information, click here or contact Mitch McBee, associate dean, Information Technology at [email protected] or .
High-paying jobs are booming in Information Technology. Broward College offers several programs that equip you with the skills you will need to succeed in the field. Learn more about these career opportunities.
Unlimited Potential! Broward UP™ Movement Gaining Countywide Momentum
Broward UP is on the move.
In just the last few weeks, Broward College formed partnerships with the cities of Lauderhill, West Park, Lauderdale Lakes, and Hollywood to use the services and resources of Broward UP to break down barriers to education and drive social mobility and economic development.
Broward UP – the UP stands for “Unlimited Potential” – is a community-centric approach established by Broward College to address low education attainment and the financial challenges which often accompany it. The movement is grounded in the belief that residents in some Broward County cities with low educational attainment and higher than average unemployment rates need specific support to unleash their “unlimited potential” and pursue higher education to make a better life for themselves.
“Thankfully, Broward UP is working, and we are charging forward with even greater confidence, enthusiasm, and purpose,” said Dr. Mildred Coyne, the executive director of Career and Workforce Education and Economic Development.
Lauderhill Mayor Ken Thurston said Broward UP’s first municipal partnership evolved after Broward College President Gregory Haile and his team presented their strategies at a meeting of the city commissioners. Shortly after that, the collaboration was launched at the Boys & Girls Club of Broward College in Lauderhill, where Broward UP staged a day of recreational activities and team building.
“There is a willingness by President Haile and those around him to think outside the box to find solutions to problems that have existed for a long time,” said Thurston. “The prospect of having classes in our city will increase the skills of our citizens, which should translate to increased employability for them and better jobs.”
Get Hired!
Working with the Urban League, Broward College has already awarded hundreds of certificates in areas such as, Information Technology, Supply Chain Management, and Project Management, to residents in the 33311 zip code who are seeking to improve their prospects for employment in high-demand industries. The effort has been met with such success that additional Broward UP programming is planned for the fall at several locations including the Lauderhill Aquatic Center, McTyre Park in West Park, and Jack & Jill Children’s Center in Fort Lauderdale.
Dr. Coyne said ten task-specific teams have been established and are coordinating to execute initial Broward UP goals: to increase college access and attendance; to improve degree and certificate attainment, and to holistically raise social and economic mobility. The teams are focused on business development; community engagement; financial services; locations and branding; programs, skills, and courses; retention; resource development; service-learning; social support services; and technology.
The Community Engagement team has been busy participating in events this summer to raise awareness of Broward UP in partnership cities while surveying residents to assess needs. Most recently, team members were on hand at the Carter Park JAMZ in Fort Lauderdale. Another appearance is scheduled for the “Back 2 School Bash,” 12-3 p.m., Aug. 3, at Lafayette Hart Park, in Fort Lauderdale. Led by , associate professor of English for Academic Purposes and Faculty Senate president, and Lori Morton, senior Career Center specialist, the team is seeking additional volunteers from the Broward College community to help spread the word at events in Broward UP communities.
Together We Serve
Volunteers are also needed to assist in Business Development, which is led by , district director of Supplier Relationships and Diversity. The team is meeting with owners of small and micro businesses in Broward UP zip codes to determine how they can increase revenue as well as provide information to the public about the movement.
Dr. Coyne said any movement as large and as transformative as Broward UP will take time and additional effort.
“We believe there is ‘Unlimited Potential’ in our community,” she said. “Thank you to all involved. I encourage you to consider how you can contribute to this movement because together we serve.”
To learn more about how Broward UP™ plans to bridge the gaps between communities in need and postsecondary education, watch this South Florida PBS interview with Broward College .
If you are dedicated to promoting opportunity and pushing residents of Broward County to achieve their highest potential, Broward UP™ is a countywide movement for you to get behind. Here’s how you can partner.