Collin College was one of 31 winners of the 2023 Handshake Career Spark Award, which is granted to educational partners who have “excelled” in utilizing and succeeding through Handshake.
Handshake is an online recruiting platform tailored for higher education students and alumni. The platform collaborates with universities and employers to streamline and simplify the recruitment process. Collin College first partnered with Handshake in 2021 at the Frisco Campus and then rolled out the platform to other campuses in 2022.
“Staff members approached me with the Handshake concept, outlining its potential benefits and a promising path to success for students,” said Technical Campus Provost Brenden Mesch, who, during that period, held the position of academic affairs and workforce dean at the Frisco Campus. “This achievement serves as a constant reminder of the importance of heeding the counsel of intelligent and enthusiastic educators to foster innovation.”
Handshake boasts a membership of over 14 million students and alumni from more than 800 universities. With only 2% of Handshake’s educational partners achieving this honor, Collin College’s recognition stands out as an extraordinary accomplishment.
“Our decision to collaborate with Handshake was driven by its exceptional value as the number one career platform for students and its mission to provide equal access to meaningful careers,” said Tara Lewis, a career coach at Collin College FLEXTech. “Collin College’s Career Center managers, career coaches and the Collin College’s FLEXTech program persistently steer our students toward readiness for the ever-evolving professional landscape.”
