Offering the Fraternity’s undergraduate members real-world skills employers seek
The year 2020 provided many challenges, and Phi Delta Theta used innovation and creativity to adapt the services, programs, and support it provides. The pandemic has not been easy on anybody, but it has been especially hard for the Fraternity’s undergraduate members. It has undoubtedly changed how the Fraternity feels and operates—Zoom replaced weekly in-person chapter meetings, in-person educational, philanthropic, and social events had to be reimagined, and traditional recruitment practices gave way to smaller, more targeted intake of new members. A lot has changed very quickly.
One silver lining of the global pandemic has been the time it has allowed for expediting educational content creation for Pursuit of Greatness, Phi Delta Theta’s new four-year membership development program. A recent Society for Human Resource Management study found that 73 percent of employers say it is difficult to find college graduates who possess the soft skills needed to succeed in the workplace. Further, 51 percent of those same employers say colleges do little to nothing to address this gap. That is why Phi Delta Theta wants to continue to provide its members with the opportunity to learn skills that employers value but aren’t available through the traditional college classroom experience. These skills include interpersonal communication, conflict management, and resiliency, to name a few.
Along with learning about valuable soft skills, the Pursuit of Greatness program offers Phi Delta Theta members the opportunity to earn digital badges that serve as a tangible demonstration of skills they have developed through their Phi Delta Theta experience. The badges can be added to their résumés helping Phi Delts stand out amongst their peers. Members of Phi Delta Theta understand the value of the fraternity experience, but this isn’t always the case with employers. The badges translate chapter experiences into recognizable skills valued by employers during the hiring process.
Pursuit of Greatness courses and badges are now available through PDT U, the Fraternity’s online learning portal. The Professional Development Badge is centered on skills that undergraduate members can take into the workplace, such as conflict management and stakeholder communication. The Personal Development Badge is geared towards the interpersonal skills needed to be successful in post-college life, such as managing personal finances and resiliency. The digital badges complement the content offered through the new Phikeia education program and officer certification modules.
Phi Delta Theta plans to introduce an alumni professional mentorship program and additional educational modules to complement the program soon.
Learn more about the Pursuit of Greatness at www.pursuitofgreatness.org.
