GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Hope College is taking a new approach to connecting talent to West Michigan employers. At the same time, the college is connecting its students to employers in a way that sets them up for success when they get out into the real world.

“We’re really excited to start off the school year with a brand-new renovation in a building right in the hub of campus,” Shonn Colbrunn, executive director of the Boerigter Center for Calling and Career at Hope College, said.

Colbrunn told News 8 the Boerigter Center for Calling and Career, located inside the DeWitt Student Cultural Center on the Hope College campus, is set up to be a hub connecting students, alumni and employers.

“We’ve got spaces that are flexible for holding events and classes. And we also use this on a regular basis for doing workshops with representatives from the community to teach students new skills,” Colbrunn said.

The center is also used for networking events and on-campus interviews.

Colbrunn said there is also space for companies to promote their brands and build awareness among Hope College students.

He told News 8 that interests are wide-ranging at Hope.

Right now, the most popular major at Hope is business, including accounting and economics, according to Colbrunn. Communications and psychology are also popular, as are accredited programs like engineering, nursing and education.

“We’re looking a lot at, how do we connect our students with people who are out there, in the workforce, actually doing these things?” Colbrunn said. “We’ll invite members of the community in here to be resumé reviewers, speak in a class, help do practice interviews. That’s a really good way to get students connected.”

The Boerigter Center for Calling and Career is also inviting companies to sponsor projects, which allows more connections between students and outside employers, Colbrunn said.

More information about the center is available online.