Education At Work

Education At Work

Education Nonprofit Gets $500K for Hiring Platform, Hybrid Program

Education Nonprofit Gets $500K for Hiring Platform, Hybrid Program Government Technology The nonprofit Education at Work will use a grant from the Salesforce Foundation to fund the development of a hiring tool for Fortune 500 companies and a new employment “hub” in downtown Indianapolis. READ ARTICLE

National “Learn-and-Earn” Nonprofit Awarded Salesforce Foundation Grant to Boost Student Employability, Cut College Costs

National “Learn-and-Earn” Nonprofit Awarded Salesforce Foundation Grant to Boost Student Employability, Cut College Costs INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Education at Work, a national nonprofit that connects top employers with college students nationwide, today announced a new $500,000 grant from the Salesforce Foundation that will fund the development of a hybrid student “learn and earn” program that will help students throughout the United States earn money to pay for college, gain new skills, and access part-time employment opportunities with Fortune 500 companies. The grant will also fund a new brick-and-mortar hub in Indianapolis that will enable Education at Work to serve an additional 200 area students by 2025, connecting them with work-based learning opportunities with major companies.  READ PRESS RELEASE

How Jane Swift, E@W President, Is Supporting Meaningful Student Work

How Jane Swift Is Supporting Meaningful Student Work Inside Higher Ed In this Q&A, Swift, new president of the nonprofit Education at Work, shares how her organization is working with colleges and corporations to help students gain valuable, and paid, real-world experiences—plus what she thinks career centers and educators must do to better prepare students. READ ARTICLE

Jane Swift is New E@W Leader

Jane Swift

Jane Swift the Former Massachusetts Governor is New E@W Leader The former Massachusetts Governor begins her first day as Education at Work’s President leading this unique nonprofit that connects companies with tomorrow’s talent and college students with valuable real-world work experience. After nearly two decades as an executive, advisor and company builder working at the intersection of learning and economic opportunity, Jane Swift takes on her new role. She most recently  served as an operating partner at the private investment firm Vistria Group, and as the president of LearnLaunch, a national nonprofit education accelerator focused on improving collaboration between policymakers, practitioners, and the technology sector. Swift previously served as CEO of Middlebury Interactive Languages, an education startup launched in partnership with Middlebury College. Swift takes the helm of Education at Work, an organization that over the past decade has built a series of effective campus-based partnerships with multiple major public flagship universities—including Arizona State University, Northern Kentucky University, the University of Texas, El Paso and the University of Utah. “As a former Pell Grant recipient and work-study student, I know firsthand what it’s like to have to earn your way through college. But I also know that our educational system was never designed to make college and work compatible,” said Swift. “I’m on a mission to show business leaders that college students represent not just tomorrow’s talent, but skills and expertise that matter today. This is about creating real, meaningful work experiences that not only help to make college more affordable but offer a springboard to graduates as they launch their careers.” Nationally, an estimated 600,000 college students participate in the Federal Work Study program, often in on-campus jobs. By partnering with both colleges and Fortune 500 companies,  including Discover Financial Services and Fidelity, Education at Work enables college students to gain valuable, real-world experience while earning significant hourly wages and up to $5,250 in tuition assistance annually to offset the cost of college. Since its inception in 2012, Education at Work has awarded over $100 million in combined wages and tuition assistance to nearly 8,100 students nationwide. Participating students are 25% more likely to graduate from their institution and to do so with 40% less student debt in comparison to their institutional peers. 75% of the participating students identify as students of color and 50% are first generation college graduates. Education at Work graduates reported salaries that were, on average, more than 10 percent higher than the average annual salary for adults with only a high school diploma —and also significantly higher than similar college graduates that did not participate in the program. A longtime advocate for excellence in education, Swift was recently appointed by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona as a member of the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), which oversees the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), otherwise known as the “Nation’s Report Card.” She has also lectured and held fellowships at a variety of universities, including Boston College School of Law and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and served as the co-chair of the selection committee for the 2023 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. “From her time in public service to her dynamic corporate career, Jane has earned a well-deserved reputation for a common-sense—and effective—brand of leadership,” said Tom Dawson, president of Strada Collaborative, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that is the corporate parent of Education at Work. “Jane is uniquely well-matched for the needs of this work—and will bring the leadership, vision and industry expertise needed to lead the organization through this critical phase of growth, ” Dawson says.

E@W Celebrates Grand Opening in ASU’s Memorial Union

ASU Grand Opening

E@W Celebrates Grand Opening in ASU’s Memorial Union Education at Work and Arizona State University celebrated together as they participated in a ceremonial ribbon cutting at the grand opening of Education at Work’s satellite office in Memorial Union. Now in the heart of where ASU students gather, Education at Work student success and recruitment team can meet students where they are and help them balance their academic commitments, training, and work responsibilities. How exciting! Education at Work has expanded its presence in Tempe, Arizona by opening a satellite location in the heart of ASU’s campus – Memorial Student Union. Both Education at Work and ASU leadership, staff, and students gathered for a ceremonial ribbon cutting to officially open the new space that will be home to Education at Work’s student success team, recruitment, training, and a place for student employees to take their shift or do homework. Leaders, staff, and students gathered as Dr. Sharon Smith, Vice President of Outreach, Arizona State University and Eliana Valenzuela, an ASU student and Education at Work student success coordinator took the ceremonial scissors and cut the ribbon to symbolize the opening of the new space. Eliana Valenzuela, ASU Student and Education at Work Student Success Coordinator and Dr. Sharon Smith, Vice President of Outreach, ASU cut the ceremonial ribbon. “We have such a tremendous partnership with Education at Work, not only helping students with work and tuition assistance, but with leadership development, said Dr. Sharon Smith, Vice President of Outreach, Arizona State University. “I’m really looking forward to our continued growth here in Memorial Union where EAW is now in the heart of ASU’s students, and another successful year of partnership.” https://vimeo.com/880266065 Education at Work connects college students to flexible, career-building jobs at major employers and Fortune 500 companies to gain valuable, real-world experience while earning up to $5,250 in tuition assistance annually to offset the cost of college. Education at Work has awarded over $100 million in combined wages and tuition assistance to nearly 8,000 students nationwide. Seventy-five percent of the participating students identify as students of color and 50% are first generation college graduates. On average, graduates finished college with about $15,000 less student debt (60% less) in comparison to their institutional peers. Eighty-six percent of graduates are employed full-time within 90 days post-graduation in comparison to a national sample of college graduates (69%).

Bringing the Promise of Higher Education in Reach for More Americans

College student studying

Bringing the Promise of Higher Education in Reach for More Americans Education at Work is Making College More Affordable Though the Biden Administration’s $9 billion debt forgiveness is nice for students with exiting loans, the question remains on what to do about making education affordable for future students. Education at Work has a unique and proven work-based learning model that offers a viable solution. President Biden announced this week that an additional 125,000 Americans have been approved for $9 billion in debt relief through fixes his Administration has made to income-driven repayment (IDR) and Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and by cancelling debt for borrowers with total and permanent disabilities. This announcement brings the total approved debt cancellation by the Biden-Harris Administration to $127 billion for nearly 3.6 million Americans. Though this forgiveness is nice for students with exiting loans, the question that needs to be addressed is what is being done to make education affordable for future students? If college costs cannot come down, then what are options that future students can explore to make college more affordable and bring the promise of higher education in reach for more Americans? Education at Work Education at Work is a non-for-profit, U.S.-based provider of staffing solutions, whose mission is to help high-achieving college students gain the career-ready skills and financial stability needed to succeed after graduation. An innovative twist on the traditional work study model, Education at Work enables college students to gain valuable, real-world experience at major employers and Fortune 500 companies. In addition to acquiring skills and earning hourly wages, students also earn up to $5,250 per year of employer-paid tuition assistance for their performance inside Education at Work and their college classrooms to help significantly offset the cost of their education and in most cases affording students to graduate debt free. This proven work-based learning model delivers job and economic mobility for college students while supporting employer business objectives. Education at Work’s diverse collegiate workforce is the only work-based learning solution that generates career outcomes for students, provides employers a skilled workforce to address an early talent need, and delivers higher ed institutions a sustainable affordability and student success model.     Since its inception in 2012, Education at Work has awarded over $100 million in combined wages and tuition assistance to nearly 8,100 students nationwide. Seventy-five percent of the participating students identify as students of color and 50% are first generation college graduates. On average, graduates finished college with about $15,000 less student debt (60% less) in comparison to their institutional peers. Eighty-six percent of graduates are employed full-time within 90 days post-graduation in comparison to a national sample of college graduates (69%).

Bridging Talent Identification, Skills Gap, and Succession Planning with Education at Work

smiling woman with laptop

Bridging Talent Identification, Skills Gap, and Succession Planning with Education at Work Navigating the challenges of talent identification, addressing skills gaps, and effective succession planning are critical to any business’s success. Companies can find themselves overwhelmed when trying to select suitable candidates from a vast pool of applicants, match evolving industry skills, and identify potential leaders. Discover Education at Work, a non-profit that provides innovative solutions to these problems, setting companies up for long-term growth and success. DEI Goals In terms of talent identification, Education at Work provides a unique solution. Leveraging an established network of university partnerships, Education at Work allows companies to tap into a highly diverse and skilled collegiate workforce. This demographic spans students of color, first-generation students, those from low-income backgrounds, and students from various geographic locations. The advantage of such a diverse pool is twofold – companies can not only meet their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) pipeline development and hiring goals but also enjoy high conversion rates from Education at Work to their workforce. Skill Development Addressing the skills gap, particularly in the rapidly evolving technological landscape, is another critical area where Education at Work can provide significant support. Education at Work’s early talent pipeline enables employers to identify, work with, and recruit proven performers with degree-specific skills relevant to the employer’s industry. This provides a valuable resource to bridge the skills gap, leading to greater conversion and retention rates. As these students have had TA and work experience before graduation, they also create an affinity with employers, leading to cost savings of up to $6,300 per college hire without a finder’s fee. Succession Planning Another point to consider is effective succession planning that is vital for any organization’s long-term sustainability. Education at Work’s early talent programs allow businesses to identify potential leaders, equipping them with relevant skills and experience, ensuring a consistent pipeline of future leaders. Moreover, the Education at Work model, based on ongoing partnerships with universities, provides unparalleled access to a renewing US collegiate workforce. This annually refreshed workforce is perfect for meeting demand for back-office and contact center staffing, and being digital natives, these students can easily adapt to any technological advancements.

E@W Awarded Grant from Trellis Foundation

Group of college students smiling at the camera

E@W Awarded Grant from Trellis Foundation Education at Work is honored to be one of the recipients of a grant from the Trellis Foundation who announced $2.5 million in total awards to 26 Texas community-based organizations. This award comes at the same time Education at Work is celebrating its successful one year partnership with UTEP and will surely provide direct impact to our mission of helping high-achieving Texas college students gain the career-ready skills and financial stability needed to succeed after graduation. Trellis Foundation is a grant-making public charitable organization focused on improving postsecondary attainment for low-income students and students of color in Texas. Their approach is highly collaborative and prioritizes catalytic investments, focused on changing or informing change to policy, practice and systems. “These grants are an acknowledgment of the innovative and essential work that community-based organizations engage in and our commitment to this important section of the postsecondary completion ecosystem,” said Trellis Foundation’s Executive Director Kristin Boyer.  “We are proud that the Foundation’s 2023 RFP supports these organizations rooted in their communities and informed by the students and families they serve.  We’re excited to learn more about their support for students to and through higher education.” At Education at Work, we believe that every student deserves the same opportunity to reach their full potential. Over the past decade, we have provided more than $100 million in salaries and tuition assistance to over 8,100 students across four states and are poised for growth. Grants like this one from Trellis Foundation will help us expand our proven model to serve many more students, employers, and universities and we couldn’t be more excited.