Bridging the Gap: How Education at Work is Changing Lives and Careers
Bridging the Gap: How Education at Work is Changing Lives and Careers Featured in The New York Times Transitioning from college to a meaningful career can be daunting, but Education at Work redefines the journey. By forging innovative partnerships with leading companies and universities, we empower the next generation to bridge the gap between education and opportunity, proving that investing in students isn’t just impactful—it’s essential. In a world where transitioning from college to meaningful employment often feels like an uphill battle, Education at Work is a beacon of hope and innovation. Recently highlighted in The New York Times Giving Guide 2024, our mission-driven nonprofit addresses a systemic issue: the broken link between higher education and career opportunities. The Times article underscored the challenges facing today’s graduates, describing a job market that, despite low unemployment rates, leaves many students unheard and undervalued. The issue isn’t just about jobs—it’s about trust. Employers hesitate to invest in untested candidates, and graduates are left “screaming into the void” with every unanswered application. Education at Work offers a powerful solution. Our organization builds bridges that benefit students and employers by connecting college students with paid employment at major companies like Fidelity Investments, First Financial Bank, and Intuit. Our work-based learning model doesn’t just provide a paycheck—it covers tuition costs, opens doors to career opportunities, and, as our President Jane Swift explains, fosters “purpose and passion” in young professionals. Our approach directly combats what economists call the “lemons” problem, where uncertainty prevents employers from taking risks on new talent. Through carefully structured partnerships with universities and businesses, we prove that investing in students isn’t a gamble—it’s a strategy for success. But there’s more to do. As the Times highlights, organizations like ours depend on the support of generous individuals and companies. Every donation makes a difference, helping expand these life-changing programs to more students and communities. If you believe in the power of education and the importance of creating opportunities for the next generation, please consider making a gift to Education at Work through our Donations Page. Together, we can transform the job market into a system that works for everyone. Make a difference today—because every student deserves a chance to thrive. Linkedin Facebook Instagram
E@W Awarded Grant from Salesforce Foundation
E@W Awarded Grant from Salesforce Foundation to Expand Work-based Learning Program Boosting Student Employability and Cutting College Costs With backing from the Salesforce Foundation, Education at Work expands virtual student employment program; sets plans for a new work-based learning hub at Salesforce Tower in Indianapolis Education at Work is excited to announce 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. “Empowering our students to become the workforce of tomorrow isn’t just about imparting knowledge – it’s also about increasing financial access to education and fostering opportunities for professional growth and connection,” said Becky Ferguson, CEO of the Salesforce Foundation and SVP of Philanthropy at Salesforce. “The Salesforce Foundation is proud to support Education at Work as they work to expand these pathways for student success.” Once the Indianapolis hub is fully operational and serving 200 students, it will lead to $1.39 million in annual wages for students across the Indianapolis region, along with an additional $660,000 in tuition assistance. Recruitment and hiring of local students will kick off during the final months of 2023 and the buildout of the new Indianapolis hub will be completed by March 2024. Next spring, Education at Work will also announce the selection of its first Indianapolis-based corporate partner and additional details about colleges and universities that plan to participate. In addition to the Indianapolis expansion, Education at Work will utilize funding from the Salesforce Foundation grant to design, build, and launch a technology platform that will enable companies to remotely hire and manage students anywhere in the country. The platform will make it possible for companies to tap the skill sets of tech-savvy students throughout the U.S. to support their internal business functions and operations and give students nationwide access to part-time work opportunities on a flexible schedule. “The traditional way that students earn money to pay for college is broken. We’ve found a way to flip the script by bringing employers to the table, helping to dramatically boost student earnings and significantly reduce financial barriers to college completion,” said Jane Swift, president of Education at Work and former Governor of Massachusetts. “This generous grant will accelerate our impact and help more students access flexible work experiences and earn money to offset the total cost of college attendance—all while developing transferable skill sets that will help them succeed in the workplace long after graduation.” The nationwide expansion of the program builds on more than a decade of Education at Work’s campus-based partnerships with public universities that include Arizona State University, Northern Kentucky University, and the University of Utah.
E@W Awarded Grant from Trellis Foundation
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.