The Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development’s Skills Lab initiative gained global recognition last month when it won “Best Student Program” at the 2025 Global Career Services Summit (GCS) in Belfast, Northern Ireland — the third time Binghamton University has been honored in the conference’s nine-year history. The department previously won for the Career Champions program during the inaugural GCS, a program that many other career centers have since replicated.
The award, sponsored by Ernst & Young, recognizes an innovative program designed to connect students to potential career paths. Held at Queen’s University in Belfast, the invite-only, four-day event brought together the leading career service professionals in higher education from 12 countries and 100 universities. Binghamton was the only institution from the United States to be recognized this year, with other recipients including the UK- and Australia-based University of London, University of Southampton, University of Limerick and Curtin University.
The award included a monetary prize that will be funneled directly into Fleishman’s Professional Development Fund — which covers student expenses like standardized test fees, professional attire and conference costs.
“With leaders from the very best career centers in the world being represented at the conference, and the most award submissions they have ever received, it was an honor to represent the Fleishman team and Binghamton University and bring recognition to our commitment to innovation and the University at large,” said Kelli Smith, assistant vice president for student success. “Our team works incredibly hard to be cutting-edge and the very best career center possible for our amazing Binghamton students, so it was a proud moment.”
Launched in spring 2023, the Skills Lab initiative offers a collaborative space where students can gain exposure to, learn about and practice industry-relevant skill sets — one of the many ways that the Fleishman Career Center has responded to evolving changes in college recruiting. Skills Labs engage students in interactive 75-minute to 90-minute sessions targeting skills crucial for entry-level roles within a specific industry or company. The Fleishman Career Center team works with employer and alumni partners to identify these in-demand skills and create the hands-on workshop section of the lab. The exchange is mutually beneficial by enabling employers to meet with and observe Binghamton students in action, while also addressing their own talent development needs and building their brand on campus.
The initiative also gives alumni the opportunity to give back to their alma mater and fill in gaps for the next generation of early-career professionals as they start to pursue their own full-time roles. Previous alumni who have hosted Skills Labs include Josh Goldberg ’18, a data analytics specialist at the Walt Disney Company, and Jaiden Price ’24, a digital strategy analyst at Adobe.
Thanks to Skills Labs, students like Samantha Barron, a junior majoring in psychology, are able to apply concepts they’ve learned in the classroom to real-world circumstances. After attending a Skills Lab hosted by Rebecca Wolf ’18, digital content marketing manager at Redken, this past fall, Barron was able to use her understanding of human behavior to break down successful advertising and copywriting strategies — something her courses don’t always cover.
“I went into this lab having minimal experience and looking to gain more knowledge on the topic in general,” said Barron, who learned from Wolf’s experience and explored a new career path. “This Skills Lab changed my perspective because it made me feel more comfortable and familiar with social media and how the marketing aspect of it works.”
The Skills Lab has had such success that the University has committed to building a new 5,000-square-foot addition to the Rockefeller Center in Hinman College that will house Skills Labs starting in spring 2027.