Athens State University has partnered with CareerVillage.org to launch Coach, an innovative AI-driven career development tool designed to support students, alumni, and the broader Athens State community.
Coach brings together a licensed, in‑course career platform and website‑embedded tools. These resources deliver personalized guidance and NACE career readiness competencies to help users explore pathways, build skills, and prepare for future career opportunities. With Coach, students can unlock access to more than 50 career‑focused activities designed to help them practice, polish, and get career‑ready with confidence.
“Coach represents an exciting step forward in how we support our students and alumni as they navigate their career journeys,” said Derrek Smith, Senior Director of Student Success and Career Development at Athens State. “Athens State students are career‑focused—whether they are completing their degrees to start their careers, advancing in their current roles, or exploring a new career path. No matter where they are in their journey, Coach helps students sharpen their professional skills and prepare for today’s workforce,” Smith added.
This acquisition is made possible through Athens State’s recent grant award from the Strada Education Foundation titled: “Athens Aspire – Transformational Career Development for Adult Learners at Athens State University.” Through this project, Athens State will develop a transformational career development program for students in seven programs. The initiative will:
- Provide targeted support in mentoring, networking, and career skills
- Embed career development in courses
- Strengthen faculty–industry partnerships
- Award skills-based micro-credentials
- Leverage experiential learning opportunities to support successful employment
Programs included in this initiative are Nursing, Computer Science & Information Technology, Graphic Design, Instructional Design, Human Resources Management, Management of Cybersecurity Operations, and Accounting.
Coach can be accessed on the Athens State Career Development page at https://www.athens.edu/resources/student-services/career/transform-your-career-journey-with-coach/.