SPRINGFIELD, IL. – The Illinois College2Career Tool (IL C2C) is among the recipients of a 2019 Government Experience Award from the Center for Digital Government (CDC). The third annual competition recognizes the achievements and best practices of states, cities and counties that are radically improving the experience of government and pushing the boundaries of how citizen services are delivered. The IL C2C, a web and mobile application designed to help students find the Illinois college or university that’s the best fit for their education and career goals, was among 32 state, city and county award recipients in the competition’s Project Experience category. Project award winners have a single focus area and can include more than one channel of interaction (for example mobile and web, or social and mobile).
“This year’s results are evidence that state and local government agencies are continuing to grow the sophistication of their digital experiences,” said Dustin Haisler, chief innovation officer for the Center for Digital Government. “The Government Experience Award winners from this year are not just leveraging innovative tools like chatbots to amplify their reach, they are also going the extra mile to build a proper foundation to support the future and ensure citizens get the right information at the right time.”
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Either online or on their mobile phones, students can use the IL C2C to easily search a variety of different categories, including costs, financial aid, graduation rates, student debt, jobs, and even earnings after graduation for different areas of study at different schools, to find the Illinois college or university that’s the best fit for their education and career goals. More than 100 Illinois colleges and universities contributed data for the tool, which was matched with employment data from the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). By linking program and employment data, the IL C2C can provide helpful perspective to students to better understand how degree programs at different schools are related to jobs and salaries.
The mobile-friendly website has two aspects: a public-facing student/parent portal and an internal institutional researcher portal for each two- and four-year Illinois college and university. The latter function of the tool can provide higher education institutions with feedback loops on the outcomes of their students, to foster insights and drive improvements in course offerings and support services.
IL C2C is the product of collaboration between the Governor’s Office, the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE), the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB), the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES).
