Studies show that most successful students are those who have worked through school, conduct project work and assignments with increased responsibility.

Student Employment is driven by the students’ need to defray some of the cost of education and by the short-term needs of departments for temporary workers. PVAMU made a bold beginning by offering the Summer Training &Enrichment Program (PV S.T.E.P.), in which the emphasis shifted to the students acquiring work skills that complemented their major.

The philosophy of “Earn & Learn” has now expanded to ensure that students develop their work experience continuously towards their career goals, while at the university. The program provides a means to fill funding gaps as the student pursues their career experience and affords the student with uninterrupted workforce experience.

The goal is to guide, train and mentor PVAMU students, challenging them with increasingly complex projects and assignments, which will develop them competitively for employment in their career field soon after graduation.

The Earn & Learn Program provides a “Bridge 2 More” for meaningful work and pay. To participate in this program, departments must have a demonstrative need by providing projects to students that will enhance their career. The work duties/projects assigned to students must directly correlate with the student’s declared major and deliverable(s) must be established. Students participating in “Earn & Learn” must have a cumulative 2.5 GPA.

The Earn & Learn Program is available on an annual basis. Funding eligibility is available as a Work–Study Supplement (Extension), Student Hourly Supplement (Extension), and/or if a Department is unable to fund a student employee due to the lack of an available budget.

Students participating in this program will experience multiple benefits and outcomes including:

  • Gaining tangible skills & knowledge to become marketable to the workplace.
  • Remaining employed for a continued period of time in a career-oriented role.
  • Gaining opportunities to accept increased levels of responsibility.
  • $10/hr. minimum rate of pay
  • Working a minimum of 10 hours per week.
  • Working a maximum of 20 hours per week.

Like students, departments also gain valuable benefits and outcomes from their participation in the Earn & Learn Program. By engaging as a participant, departments gain knowledgeable staff augments, provide students with unparalleled opportunities to increase their knowledge base within their career field, and promote increasing levels of work experience for student’s to actively contribute to meeting departmental goals and objectives.

 

Author: Maurice Perkins