Student Success: Hussain Pirbhai
Student Success: Hussain Pirbhai Hussain Pirbhai, a graduate from University of Texas, Dallas (UTD) reflects on his time at Education at Work and shares how the experience has prepared him for the job he currently holds at Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company and the double master’s degrees he is in pursuit of now in Information Technology Management. Hussain Pirbhai, who graduated in Spring of 2023 from the University of Texas, Dallas (UTD), with a degree in Information Technology and Systems, specializing in IT Sales Engineering, spoke with me about his time at Education at Work and how the experience helped him get to where he is today. Hussain began working at Education at Work for Fidelity Investments during his last semester of college through the middle of the summer after he graduated. As he reflects on his time at Education at Work, Hussain is most grateful for the friendships made and the invaluable knowledge gained about financial planning, investments, and overall business acumen that he will be able to take with him and apply through the rest of his life. Not to mention, all while earning enough money to afford college and graduate debt-free. What position did you hold while working at Education at Work? Hussain: I worked for Fidelity Investments as a non qual differed compensation intern – assisting the service delivery managers on the non-qual team on projects they needed help with through the quarter, such as creating reports, analysis, and cross-checking data. What would you say are the key things you learned or key takeaways being a part of Education at Work working with Fidelity? Hussain: Developing interpersonal skills, specifically communication skills. I would be in meetings with service delivery managers, which was extremely insightful. Being able to witness what was being discussed from a high-level strategic perspective. Becoming accustomed to working for a large firm like Fidelity and being able to communicate with people at different levels within a company. Improving my Excel skills – advanced concepts in Excel from creating advanced reports to sorting data and running macros. I also became familiar with Fidelity’s own proprietary software for analytics. This experience provided insight into what large companies use for gathering data and how to use it without being intimidated. Now I feel confident that no matter what company I work for in the future, I will be able to quickly adapt and learn their systems, processes, and software. What three things did you like about working at EAW as a full-time student? Hussain: The first was flexibility. It was absolutely amazing that Education at Work allowed me the opportunity to create my own schedule and work based off my own class schedule as a full-time student. This was my last semester, which was very hectic, and I had to also add on another class, but the flexibility I was provided to change my work schedule a couple of times to accommodate my changing class schedule was something I greatly appreciated. It allowed me to focus on my academics, while also earning an income working. It provided me with that multi-tasking ability. The second was working in a hybrid environment where I had the opportunity to either go into the office, work from home, or do both depending on my class schedule. My managers were very supportive in allowing me to come into the office for a shift prior to my classes, then stop to attend class and finish up my shift at home. I also loved the Fidelity campus, it was so beautiful, so I didn’t mind going into the office for my shifts. In fact, there were times I would just go to the office and get a study room to do my schoolwork or study. The third was the relationship that built with my Education at Work managers and co-workers. Everyone was so helpful, warm, and kind to me and my brother (who also worked at Education at Work). I really enjoyed working with them and made many friends. What would tell students who are looking for employment to help afford college and stay in school about Education at Work? Hussain: What I would tell students about Education at Work is it is a wonderful program if you want to make good money for part-time work and real-world experience at a major corporation. Regardless of what your major or degree is in, this opportunity is a great alternative if you find it hard to get an internship in your field of study which is many times hard to get. Education at Work allows you the opportunity to work with a fortune 500 company and have resume-worthy experience to show after graduation, allowing a great start to your career. I told all my friends and other students I know about working with Education at Work. You are provided a flexible work schedule that accommodates your classes, and for students who want to work for the summer and can’t get an internship, you have the chance to earn wages and tuition assistance along with skills and experience to put on your resume that would be applicable anywhere. This is a much better option than working a summer job at Walmart, Target, or Whole Foods. Now that you have graduated, what are your plans moving forward? Hussain: I have a position at Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (HPE) as part of their inside sales team working in pre-sales and marketing. HP recently acquired a new cybersecurity/cloud platform, and my role is on a new task force, and it’s been amazing. It’s like I’m working for a startup while at a large company. Although I am on the sales side of things, my IT background is really helping with the job as I have been able to assist my co-workers and peers when they get stuck on topics related to technology. I am also getting a MS/MBA doing a double major, double masters, at University of Texas, Dallas (UTD) in Information Technology Management. “I cannot thank Education at Work and all the
E@W and UTEP Celebrates Successful Partnership
E@W and UTEP Celebrates Successful Partnership Helping UTEP Students Earn Over $1 Million in Wages and Tuition Assistance We were very excited to celebrate the successful one-year partnership with the University of Texas, El Paso (UTEP) and Discover Financial Services (DFS) this past week at UTEP’s campus and the Plaza Pioneer Park in El Paso, Texas. Leadership and staff from Education at Work gathered together to not only celebrate how far we’ve come in the past year helping UTEP students, but how much more we can accomplish given the partnership between Education at Work, UTEP, and Discover will be expanding with the proven success of this collaboration. In the coming academic year, even more UTEP students will be able to gain valuable experience through part-time jobs with Discover, while earning money to offset the cost of college and graduate debt-free. Participants and guests of last week’s festivities relished in the positive impact being made in the lives of UTEP students as they listened to valuable insights, inspirational stories, and were reminded why we partner with innovative businesses like Discover and universities like UTEP to realize our mission of helping high-achieving college students gain the career-ready skills and financial stability needed to succeed after graduation. “The UTEP celebration marks a milestone that is evidence of EAW’s commitment to pursuing excellence, dedication to our mission, and the collective efforts of an exceptional team,” said Demetria Ingram, Education at Work’s vice president of learning and development. “We celebrated an achievement that should serve as a reminder of what we accomplished together with a shared vision. Cheers to the journey that we have travelled and extraordinary possibilities that lie ahead in El Paso, Texas.” Our proven work-based learning model 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. “To deliver on our mission of access and economic mobility, we need to use every tool at our disposal to reduce college costs and create educational experiences that prepare students for the world of work,” said John Wiebe, Ph.D., UTEP provost and vice president for academic affairs. “This model allows us to do both at the same time.” https://vimeo.com/865388747 EAW enables college students to gain real-world experience at major employers and Fortune 500 companies. UTEP students participating in the program have the opportunity to work on behalf of Discover Financial Services’ consumer-facing financial services team. “At Discover, it is our mission to help people spend smarter, manage debt better, and save more to achieve a brighter financial future. This partnership builds on that mission by helping students advance their formal education while learning important job skills,” said Tracy Hedrick, Discover Financial Services vice president of card operations. “We are excited to invest in these students while they are pursuing careers in their field of study and building brighter financial futures.” In addition to developing resume-ready skills and earning wages through flexible hourly work, UTEP students receive up to $5,250 per year of employer-paid tuition assistance from Discover to help offset the cost of their education. In the one-year partnership, UTEP students have already received over $1.1 million in wages and tuition assistance earned. “It was such an amazing experience to celebrate with UTEP, Discover, Strada, and the leadership from Education at Work. It’s amazing what a year can do, and to not only see it but be absorbed into it last week, was such an honor. I had an opportunity to speak to each individual and to feel genuine appreciation and commitment from all of them. It was a time of team bonding and reflection, reminding me why I work at EAW and how impactful our mission truly is. I couldn’t be more excited for the future of our organization.” – Stephanie Toston, Vice President of Growth, Education at Work Students at UTEP can apply for opportunities with Education at Work and Discover Financial Services at educationatwork.org/student-jobs.
Students “Learn and Earn” through Work-Based Partnership with Discover
Students “Learn and Earn” through Work-Based Partnership with Discover EL PASO, Texas, Sept. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The University of Texas at El Paso is expanding a year-old partnership with Discover Financial Services and the national nonprofit Education at Work (EAW). In the coming academic year, UTEP students will gain valuable experience through part-time jobs with Discover, while earning money to offset the cost of college. READ PRESS RELEASE
Student Success: Amanda Sather
Student Success: Amanda Sather Recent ASU grad, Amanda Sather, reflects on her time at Education at Work as she gets ready to head off to the University of Connecticut in pursuit of her master’s degree and doctorate. She is grateful for the time spent, relationships made, and credits her Education at Work experience for the invaluable leadership skills and abilities she’s developed while earning a debt-free education. Amanda Sather, who graduated from Arizona State University in May of 2023 with a bachelor’s degree, reflects on her time at Education at Work as she begins at the University of Connecticut in pursuit of her master’s degree and doctorate in Human Development and Family Sciences. Amanda started working at Education at Work for a U.S.-based financial services company in November of 2020 and continued with that same company throughout her college career moving her way up from customer service rep to supervisor. As she reflects, Amanda is most grateful for the relationships made and the invaluable leadership skills and abilities she developed, all while earning money to afford college and graduate debt-free. During her time at Education at Work, Amanda gained recognition from her leadership team as she quickly grew her skills in account management, customer service interaction, workflow organization, and meeting high key performance indicator goals which resulted in high productivity. She was promoted to a leadership position within a year. “While most college students must wait until after they graduate for the opportunity to experience the level of responsibility required to obtain lifelong professional skills, I was able to accomplish this while still an undergraduate student”, says Amanda. As a Student Supervisor, Amanda was responsible for managing and coaching 15 student representatives until she graduated this past Spring. Upon graduation, she was hired full-time in that same leadership position prior to leaving for Connecticut. Amanda found that the most valuable skill she learned was how to be an effective leader for her team and credits her time at Education at Work for preparing her to effectively lead people and help them succeed. Amanda pointed out that an additional key benefit to her time at Education at Work was the ability to have a flexible work schedule, working part-time while a full-time student and increase her hours when she didn’t have classes over the summer. This helped Amanda afford college and complete her degree with no student debt. “The flexibility and convenience of earning wages and tuition assistance while still a full-time student is what I valued most about Education at Work”, Amanda says. “How I was able to work for a large corporation that worked with me around my classes, and then in the summer could pick up more hours to help pay for school.” Amanda concludes, “My overall experience at Education at Work was truly rewarding. I had virtually no professional work experience going into Education at Work, and I walked out knowing how to navigate difficult conversations, overcome challenges, and hit performance goals, all lifelong professional skills that are extremely beneficial.”
A Unique Alternative Solution to BPOs
A Unique Alternative Solution To BPOs E@W’s proven work-based learning model can help companies effectively address the persistent issue of employee retention within their own extended workforce. By offering access to motivated, digital-native students, innovative occupancy management, and high-performance culture, Education at Work equips companies with a business solution to build committed, productive, and satisfied employees, driving their growth and success in the long run. In today’s hyper-competitive market, Corporations and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies face a recurring challenge: employee retention. High attrition rates in the industry can be attributed to various factors, including the demanding nature of the job, inconsistent schedules, and the absence of career growth opportunities. This constant turnover results in increased hiring and training costs for the BPO, and lower productivity combined with potentially diminished customer satisfaction for the company partner which all impact a company’s bottom line. Firstly, finding a smart, eager, and adaptive workforce is critical in addressing retention issues. Hiring candidates who are motivated, capable, and digitally proficient can result in a more engaged workforce, reducing attrition rates. This is where Education at Work comes into play. Our non-profit organization offers unparalleled access to a US-based collegiate workforce, thanks to strong partnerships with universities that bring in new cohorts annually. The advantage is twofold. On one hand, these students are eager to apply their academic learning to real-world job opportunities. On the other hand, their digital nativeness ensures shorter and faster training and onboarding processes. Workforce management is another significant factor contributing to high attrition rates. Inconsistent and unsociable working hours can lead to job dissatisfaction and eventually, employee turnover. To tackle this issue, Education at Work provides employers with the ability to deploy students in 30-minute work intervals. This innovative approach manages peaks and valleys in call volume, decreasing full-time costs and promoting a balanced work-study schedule for students. Consequently, businesses witness lower abandon rates and improved utilization rates, translating into substantial cost savings. Another aspect that is often neglected is that creating a high-performance and rewarding culture within an organization is key to retaining employees. When staff feel they are contributing positively to a company’s success and are rewarded for it, they are more likely to stay committed. Education at Work provides a trained and committed workforce that delivers high performance on customer satisfaction and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). This is supported by a stellar 90% customer satisfaction rating, a testament to Education at Work’s focus on training and coaching to enhance performance and foster a culture of excellence. On the other hand, the students get tuition assistance, a competitive wage and gain valuable career skills that open the door to a bright future.
Student Success: Samantha Andrew
Student Success: Samantha Andrew Samantha Andrew, a graduate from Northern Kentucky University (NKU) reflects on her time at Education at Work as she gets ready to begin her career as a 4th grade elementary school teacher with the knowledge of financial planning that will set her up for her future. Samantha Andrew, who graduated from Northern Kentucky University in May of 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, reflects on her time at Education at Work as she gets ready to begin her teaching career as a 4th grade elementary school teacher. Samantha began working at Education at Work for a U.S.-based multinational financial services company in April of 2019 and continued with that same company throughout the entire time she attended college. As she reflects on her time at Education at Work, Samantha is most grateful for the friendships made and the invaluable knowledge gained about financial products and financial planning that she will be able to take with her and apply through the rest of her life. Not to mention, all while earning enough money to afford college and graduate debt-free. “During my time at Education at Work, I was not only able to gain financial knowledge to prepare me to set myself up early to save for my future using financial products, but I was also able to make so many friends during my time with the program.” An additional key benefit, Samantha pointed out, to her time at Education at Work was the ability to have a flexible work schedule – working part-time while a full-time student with the opportunity to increase her hours when she didn’t have classes over the summer. This helped Samantha afford college and complete her degree with no student debt. “The flexibility offered by Education at Work allowed me the opportunity to fit extracurricular activities into my schedule and earning wages and tuition assistance while still a full-time student.” “I liked that fact that I was able to work for a large corporation that worked with me around my classes and activities, and then in the summer could pick up more hours to help pay for school,” she says. Samantha concludes, “Overall, I cannot thank Education at Work enough for the amazing opportunity it provided. It was an incredible place to work, a place where I forged meaningful relationships, developed lifelong knowledge and skills that will help me in my future, and able to earn enough money to graduate debt free.”
College Students “Learn and Earn” Through Innovative Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona-ASU Partnership
College Students “Learn and Earn” Through Innovative Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona-ASU Partnership TEMPE, Ariz., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (AZ Blue), which provides health insurance and related services to more than 1.9 million Arizonans, today announced the expansion of a year-old partnership with Arizona State University and national nonprofit Education at Work (EAW). Launched in 2021, the program enables students to gain valuable healthcare industry experience while earning money to offset the cost of college. READ PRESS RELEASE
An E@W Leader’s Perspective on DEI
An E@W Leader’s Perspective on DEI Since and before I started working at Education at Work, we have strongly committed to increasing and maintaining our accessibility… Since and before I started working at Education at Work, we have strongly committed to increasing and maintaining our accessibility and opportunities for success regardless of background, ethnicity, beliefs, identity, and appearance because we know that every individual brings value to the table and deserves the opportunity to be successful. When I heard Education at Work was recently awarded the 2023 Diversity Equity Inclusion Workplace certification by Diversity for Social Impact for providing equitable professional and educational opportunities to diverse students, I was honored that Education at Work and the Strada Foundation were being recognized for the effort we’ve put in over the years. We are proud to say that 75% of our students come from diverse, underrepresented backgrounds and 50% of our students are first-generation college students. I am especially excited for Education at Work because embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion is not only the right thing to do, but it’s essential for creating a truly effective and transformative work environment. By valuing and respecting the unique perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences of every individual, Education at Work can help foster a more equitable and inclusive society, in which everyone can succeed and thrive. Since inception at Education at Work over ten years ago, we have been able to level the playing field for historically underserved student populations. We have had the privilege of getting to watch our students learn and grow through their respective training and operational program – where they often are outperformers their professional counterparts. As a result of the professional skills and confidence gained with Education at Work, they are more likely than other graduates to land that first big job post-graduation – and that is what makes our jobs worth it, day in and day out. In conclusion, this acknowledgement is a great achievement and a powerful springboard to continue breaking the mold for even greater acceptance, diversity, and inclusivity in higher education and across the professional world. I hope this award encourages individuals of all backgrounds to realize their success is achievable as their effort is more equitably recognized by society. – Patrice Clark, Education at Work Vice President, Human Resources
Student Success: Tomás Valladares
Student Success: Tomás Valladares I am finishing my degree in finance at the University of North Texas and will be graduating in the spring with a full-time job lined up as a commercial underwriter with a major insurance carrier. I have worked at Education at Work all 3 years of my college career. In one of my first business classes, the professor told our class that one of the most important steps a college student can take is getting a job in the industry they are studying. A few weeks after hearing this I saw a job post for a phone agent position at a well-known financial company via Education at Work. Applying for this position ultimately propelled my career forward more than I could have imagined. The flexibility offered by Education at Work allowed me to fit extracurricular activities into my schedule while going to school full-time. Professional organizations were also quick to accept my applications after seeing that I had experience in the industry and had developed important soft skills. Education at Work gave me recognition for the work I did and provided me with promotions along the way. After working in customer service roles for nearly a year and a half, I was able to transition to a project manager role, allowing me to develop a wide spectrum of work experience with a Fortune 500 company. During an internship interview, the manager interviewing me kept coming back to the fact that I had client-facing experience and project management skills. I believe these two skills developed at Education at Work were critical in landing the internship, leading to a full-time offer after graduation. I view Education at Work as a vital supplement to my college education. The two worked in tandem to provide a holistic educational experience that pushed my career forward while providing financial support along the way.
Student Success: Zach Stanich
Student Success: Zach Stanich I studied my first two years of college at Portland State University in Oregon. Shortly after moving down to Arizona, I learned about Education at Work through Arizona State University. Now that I am graduating from ASU, I am reminiscing about my time at Education at Work. I am sad it is coming to an end but I am also very grateful for my 2 years at Education at Work. Education at Work has given me the opportunity to graduate from ASU with zero student debt. The amazing staff and leadership at Education at Work always make your education the #1 priority. They are constantly working around your school schedule and make sure you have time off for your finals. The environment of Education at Work, their staff and employees are all so welcoming and engaged in a common goal; everyone wants YOU to succeed and grow while obtaining your education. I started my journey as a cell miner. I then had the chance to move up into our first ever LVAR team. I was able to help support and create the team with my supervisor at the time. I was the top performer on the team and my supervisor asked me to help as a “peer coach.” This gave me many skills and opportunities to learn as I helped my peers grow as well. Now that I am graduating, I have been given an opportunity through Education at Work’s partnership with one of our high profile financial clients. I have been offered a full-time job and will be able to get my foot in the door with leadership opportunities based on my pre-established relationships in the company. My last day with Education at Work is January 7th! Overall, I cannot thank Education at Work enough for the amazing opportunity it has given me. It is an incredible place to work. Everything I have to say about Education at Work is positive and it gave me the opportunity to grow while attending ASU. The skills and abilities Education at Work helped me develop have empowered me to reach my professional goals. I want to take the time to thank you EAW one last time for everything you have given me during my time here.