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AT&T executives, WSSU faculty join forces to support student success

AT&T North Carolina President Venessa Harrison presents a check to WSSU Chancellor Elwood L. Robinson for $26,000 during the opening remarks.
Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) faculty learned from AT&T executives how skills taught in the classroom help to prepare students to enter the workplace.

 About 50 faculty and student leaders attended the first WSSU AT&T Academy on Thursday, April 13. The daylong event included breakout sessions where executives spoke about what they expect from new hires and how the essential skills taught in the classroom, such as critical thinking and written and oral communications, translate to careers at corporations like AT&T.

 WSSU Provost Brenda Allen said WSSU is focused on preparing students for the global knowledge-based economy.

“Here at WSSU, we stress the importance of weaving essential skills into the curriculum,” said WSSU Provost Brenda Allen. “Hearing from AT&T executives about how these skills are performed daily will better prepare our faculty, providing them with examples of how these skills are applied in the workplace.”

According to a study by the North Carolina Department of Commerce released in 2014, WSSU ranks No. 1 in the UNC System for graduates receiving jobs in North Carolina after graduation and No. 1 in the Triad for highest salary after receiving an undergraduate degree.

AT&T opened with remarks from Venessa Harrison, president of AT&T North Carolina and WSSU Chancellor Elwood L. Robinson. Sessions focused on AT&T’s competency-based approach to talent management, corporate citizenship and student internships.

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