Only 17 percent* of college graduates have a job lined up when they graduate. This is something that the Charlotte-based program, goHIRE, hopes to change and has started with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC).

goHIRE is a revolutionary program designed to transition women and minority graduating college seniors to Corporate America.  The program was built and is taught by Charlotte-based recruitment firm, T. Burks & Associates, and launching at schools in North Carolina’s Triad and Triangle as well. This year, the firm celebrates its ten-year anniversary and recruits for Fortune 500 businesses as well as small and emerging growth organizations.

A survey published by Bentley University found 60 percent of employers want their future employees to learn better soft skills in college. “I was taken aback at the disconnection between graduating seniors, their level of professionalism and the opportunities they were applying for.   They had the aptitude, but didn’t know how to present it,” says Tasha Burks owner of T. Burks.

Burks built goHIRE and launched its pilot program on the campuses of Johnson C. Smith University and with a UNCC minority organization in 2015. Participants averaged a 5.9 career readiness score before the program and a 9.2 after the program. At program completion, goHIRE yielded jobs for 86% of its program participants before or directly after graduation.

Students from a UNCC minority organization have started goHIRE’s professional development workshops. They will learn how to navigate their career search and land amazing opportunities