Scaling career development resources for online students
As a fully online institution serving a diverse and geographically dispersed student body, Western Governors University (WGU) faced a familiar but complex challenge: how to effectively engage students in career development and ensure they had easy, ongoing access to resources that could help them thrive in the workforce.
With over 150,000 learners navigating their education in a fully digital environment, it became increasingly important to offer a centralized, seamless hub for career exploration, job opportunities, and career readiness tools. WGU needed a solution that could scale alongside its student body and drive meaningful engagement across a wide range of learner journeys.
“I’m never going to be able to hire enough advisors to support the number of students that we have. Right now, I have a team of seven. So we’re really small for the huge alumni population we serve for life as well as our current students,” said Bonnie Monteleone, Senior Manager of Career Education and Advising at WGU. “I needed to really rely on digital technology to help scale our services and I knew uConnect could help us create a better user experience.”
From dispersed to dynamic: streamlining the student experience with career tools
To better meet the needs of its online learners, WGU partnered with uConnect to modernize and centralize its approach to career services. Together, they launched a branded, user-friendly virtual career center that served as a one-stop destination for students to explore career paths, access curated resources, and engage with timely programming and events.
The platform’s seamless integration into WGU’s digital ecosystem created a dynamic experience that aligned with how students already navigate their education—online and on their own time. With uConnect, WGU could consolidate scattered tools and content into a single, intuitive hub, significantly improving visibility and accessibility.
Beyond streamlining access, uConnect’s functionality and design helped bridge the gap for WGU’s remote learners by making career services approachable and engaging. Students now had easy, centralized access to everything from job boards to career videos—empowering them to take action on their goals with confidence and clarity.
140% page view growth in two months post-launch
158% boost in video engagement in two months post-launch
The future of career services at WGU
WGU continues to deepen its partnership with uConnect as a strategic driver of student success. With engagement metrics steadily climbing, the university is committed to evolving its content, expanding virtual offerings, and continuously enhancing the user experience to better meet the needs of its diverse online learners.
By leveraging uConnect, WGU has not only centralized and modernized its career services but also positioned itself as a leader in using technology to empower students at scale. The platform has become an essential part of WGU’s career readiness strategy, making it easier for students to access relevant tools, explore opportunities, and confidently prepare for life after graduation.
“We want to provide a career experience where the learner selects what they want it to be. They own that experience, and it helps our office scale,” Monteleone said. “We serve approximately 190,000 students, as well as another 340,000 alumni for life. Leveraging uConnect has been really helpful and will only continue to be helpful as we create individualized career journeys for each student at scale.”
Looking ahead, WGU plans to build on this momentum. The university’s continued investment in scalable, student-centered technology ensures that its learners are supported where they are today and prepared for wherever their careers take them next.
About Western Governors University
Western Governors University (WGU) is a non-profit, online university focused on competency-based education and student-centered learning, aiming to make higher education accessible and affordable for a wide range of students, particularly working professionals.
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