Accelerate to Industry (A2i) at UD

A bold new approach to graduate career education

The Accelerate to Industry™ (A2i) program is the Graduate College’s signature career readiness and workforce development program for our graduate students and postdoctoral trainees. The goal of this NSF-funded program is to equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to transition and thrive in a variety of careers. Partnering with North Carolina State University on A2i, University of Delaware aims to position itself as a national model for graduate and postdoctoral career education.

Are you a graduate student or postdoctoral trainee interested in discovering what meaningful careers beyond academia can look like? The A2i program is for you! Learn more about our A2i offerings below and check out the “For Graduate Students” page to find out about the A2i Internship Program.

Are you an organization seeking high-caliber graduate-level talents? Our A2i Program can help connect you with UD’s best and brightest! Head over to the “For Industry Partners” page to discover how A2i can supercharge your organization’s early career recruiting pipeline.

Are you a faculty or staff member looking for ways to support your graduate students’ career success in a diverse, dynamic, and ever-changing job market? Follow the “For Academic Departments” link to discover how A2i can help your students, and turn your industry connections into paid experiential learning opportunities for your students.

For Graduate Students

For Industry Partners

For Academic Units

A2I ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The Job Search Strategies (JSS) is a multi-week module comprised of two parts: career presentations from industry guest speakers and career skill-building workshops led by the senior assistant dean for graduate professional development and other graduate career development experts. The goals of JSS are to raise awareness of career options, methods to navigate the job search, and strategies to secure desired positions.

In this module, participants will have a comprehensive look and exposure to topics related job search and career skills such as:

Career options and pathways
Building professional networking, including how to make the most of LinkedIn
Creating effective resumes and cover letters
Preparing for job interviews
Negotiating compensations
Professional communication (e.g. presenting yourself, interviewing strategies, etc.)

Watch the Fall 2023 Job Search Strategies Sessions >

The Career Conference offers opportunities to create new networks and explore careers. This half-day event brings graduate students, postdocs, alumni and employers together to share insights on leveraging graduate school experience toward an array of meaningful careers beyond academia.

The UD A2i team partners with businesses and nonprofit organizations to offer paid, project-based internships to graduate students across the STEM, humanities and social sciences disciplines. As an A2i intern, you will utilize your advanced knowledge and research skills to solve real-world problems while building purposeful connections with employers.

The Team-based project is designed to recruit 4–5 members per team from various disciplines to work on a semester-long project defined by industry partners. It aims to increase the ability of participants to work with cross-functional operators, and to develop relevant skills that would enhance their ability to secure industry jobs that they desire.

This team-based project approach is designed to encourage participants to think beyond their respective disciplines and helps them learn to leverage their technical backgrounds and creativity to move ideas and projects forward in a cross-disciplinary team context.

The Company Site Visit module is geared towards a more intimate engagement between potential candidates and professionals at industry partner organizations. Industry partners can host an in-person site visit or via a virtual platform. A typical site visit consists of a company presentation, an employee panel Q&A, a networking opportunity, and an office space or lab tour.

During Industry Immersion, participants are exposed to unique training opportunities that will help them develop skills to support essential features of companies. The Industry Immersion module is structured as a multi-day experience and provides comprehensive coverage of industry-specific topics through presentations and workshops, along with additional professional development activities such as company meet & greet, team-based project, networking sessions, and career panels.

Graduate College