​Technological change, geopolitical volatility, demographic shifts, and growing public scrutiny of institutional value are reshaping higher education. Employers face an accelerating skills transformation. International education, career development, experiential learning, employer engagement, and educational technology each contribute important innovations, but the landscape remains fragmented.

​The Global Career Development Collaborative is designed to bring stakeholders across these siloes together to improve social mobility and social impact. We are focused on improving school-to-work outcomes for first-generation students and underrepresented student populations around the world, and on the role of higher education in driving social impact through a global, talent-driven education framework. Read the white paper to learn more about the current challenges and the way GCDC is facing them down.

Read the White Paper

About GCDC

Mission

To advance global excellence in career development by providing institutions and employers with innovative collaboration models, technology, research, and professional development solutions that empower students and industry to thrive in a dynamic global workforce.

Vision

To become the world’s leading community in global career development solutions, where career development and education abroad intersect, and equip institutions and employers to prepare globally competent, workforce-ready graduates.

Core Values

• Student-Centered Impact: Elevating student outcomes through career readiness and holistic development.
• Global Employer Collaboration: Building bridges between institutions and employers worldwide.
• Innovation through Technology: Leveraging emerging tools to improve career development delivery and data-informed decision making.
• Integrity and Excellence: Maintaining the highest level of accountability to support positive career outcomes data, research, and professional practice.
• Equity and Access: Ensuring that all students and institutions have access to high-quality global career development opportunities.

​Founders
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Mario Vela is a visionary career development leader and founding member of the Global Career Development Collaborative (GCDC), powered by The Forum on Education Abroad. He serves on the board of The Forum and is the co-founder and president of the HSI Career Collaborative. As Assistant Vice Provost for Career-Engaged Learning at UTSA, Mario brings over 15 years of experience bridging higher education, employer engagement, and global learning. His work focuses on advancing social mobility by aligning career development with global career readiness and expanding opportunities for students worldwide.

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Dr. Andres Jaime is a seasoned career development and experiential learning scholar-practioner and a founding member of the Global Career Development Collaborative​ (CGDC) powered by The Forum on Education Abroad. He serves as Director of Public Health Practice at the UT School of Public Health San Antonio specializing in applied practice, cultural capital, community engagement, and student success frameworks. With over 20 years of experience, Andres has guided career and workforce development initiatives across public, private, and international higher education networks and built innovative partnerships with local, regional, and global employers across sectors to expand student access and career readiness. ​

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ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP

GCDC and The Forum are proud to announce a strategic partnership aimed at integrating global career development with education abroad. This future-forward alliance is driven by a shared commitment to enhancing student academic and career outcomes. Together, we aim to embed global career readiness into education abroad experiences through a collaborative working framework, digital tools, research, and professional development solutions.

Purpose and Goals

This strategic partnership between GCDC and The Forum serves to:

• Establish a framework to align global career development best practices with education abroad standards and benchmarks.[AD1] [SK2]
• Articulate global career outcomes and employability competencies gained through career development and education abroad experiences.
• Foster collaborative global employer networks to bridge higher education and the workforce.
• Launch joint events to promote thought leadership, innovation, and cross-sector collaboration.
• Strengthen institutional capacity via events, professional development, consulting, and technology-based tools.

Opportunities to Get Involved

Global Career Development Collaborative Think Tank II

GCDC will convene Think Tank II in Lisbon, Portugal, on Sunday, October 11, 2026 (immediately preceding The Forum’s CIGL Conference).

This invitation-only gathering will continue the global conversation launched at the Careers, Internships, and Global Learning (CIGL) Conference in Costa Rica last year. Leaders from higher education, global education, career development, the public sector, employers, and EdTech will convene to move the conversation from identifying shared challenges toward co-designing actionable solutions for the future of global career development.

Complete the interest form to let us know you’d like to be considered for this and future opportunities related to GCDC and our growing global career development community.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Interested in showing your organizational support and alignment with this important work? Reach out to Mario Vela ([email protected]) to learn about sponsorship opportunities.