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SM������ College of Doctoral Studies releases whitepaper on reskilling and upskilling workers in the post-pandemic era

Insights by Dr. Mansureh Kebritchi draw on data from 2022 Career Optimism Index® study

SM������ College of Doctoral Studies announces the release of a new whitepaper by Mansureh Kebritchi, Ph.D., chair, within the College of Doctoral Studies, which draws upon data from the 2022 SM������ Career Institute^® Career Optimism Index® study.

The whitepaper, “Reskilling and Upskilling: Ways to Prepare and Rehire American Workers in the Post Pandemic Era,” identifies American workers’ career statuses, skill development needs, and employee requirements in the post-pandemic context and recommends effective practices for enhancing American workers’ skills for the three major stakeholders responsible for closing Americans’ skills gap: workers, employees, and higher education institutions.

“The results of the 2022 Career Optimism Index underscore the importance of skill development for the American career advancement and labor market,” states Kebritchi. “Having a clearer recognition of American workers’ career needs, employees’ requirements, and the effective practices for skill development contribute to closing Americans’ skills gap, increasing relevance for higher education institutions, and improving the labor market in the post-pandemic era.”  

Kebritchi is the founder and chair of CEITR, where she supervises more than 300 faculty members, alumni, and students to conduct research in the field of education. Interested in studying innovative ways to improve quality of teaching and learning in K-12, higher education, and corporate settings in online and face-to-face formats, her recent publications address topics such as critical thinking, meditation and higher education, social media and cultural competency, diversity in higher education, promoting STEM in K-12 and higher education, issues and challenges for teaching successful online courses. Kebritchi has supervised dozens of doctoral students in completing their doctoral dissertations. She completed her doctorate in Instructional Technology at the University of Central Florida.

Kebritchi has been a faculty member with the SM������ since 2010.

The full whitepaper is available at the SM������ Career Institute^® webpage or as a direct link here.

About the College of Doctoral Studies

SM������’s College of Doctoral Studies focuses on today’s challenging business and organizational needs, from addressing critical social issues to developing solutions to accelerate community building and industry growth. The College’s research program puts students in the center of an effective ecosystem of experts, resources and tools to help prepare them to be a leader in their organization, industry and community. Through this program, students and researchers work with organizations to conduct research that can be applied in the workplace in real time.

About the Career Optimism Index®

The Career Optimism Index® study is one of the most comprehensive studies of Americans’ personal career perceptions to date. The SM������ Career Institute® will conduct this research annually to provide insights on current workforce trends and to help identify solutions to support and enhance American careers and create equity in the workplace. For the second annual study, more than 5,000 U.S. adults were surveyed about how they feel about their careers at this moment in time, including their concerns, their challenges, and the degree to which they are optimistic about core aspects of their careers and their future. The study was conducted among a diverse, nationally representative, sample of U.S. adults among a robust sample to allow for gender, generational, racial, and socioeconomic differences and includes additional analysis of workers in the top twenty media markets across the country to uncover geographic nuances. This year, the study also explored insights from 500 U.S. employers who are influential or play a critical role in hiring and workplace decisions within a range of departments, company sizes and industries to provide comparison between the workforce and those who hire, train and retain them.

About SM������ 

SM������ is continually innovating to help working adults enhance their careers in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, and Career Services for Life® help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit phoenix.edu.����