Students can now Learn and Earn
UCC has a student worker opportunity that most students don’t know about. The Learn and Earn program offers qualified students the opportunity to work and earn pay on campus in areas that pertain to their career choice as well as their educational goals.
Mark Williams, the dean of Career and Technical Education, created the program.
“It’s based on the idea that the college can be a learning laboratory for students,” Williams explains, “[they are] earning some money while gaining experience in work related to their studies, and helping support college employees.”
The Learn and Earn program is modeled after a similar program that Williams helped implement successfully at another institution. The Learn and Earn program was created through several steps. Williams created an application process and identified training required by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Williams also had to identify ways to connect students to the various positions.
UCC departments that need short to long term help and want to work with Learn and Earn students have to have their own funding. Learn and Earn differs from other student work opportunities such as Cooperative Work Experience and Federal Work study. Students participating in the Learn and Earn program do not earn academic credit.
Students must meet certain requirements and go through training before being accepted into the program. Eligible students need to fill out a Learn and Earn application, as well as a regular UCC job application. The Learn and Earn application has space for students to specify what their educational goals are and some basic information.
Dennis Stutes, director of I.T., currently utilizes the Learn and Earn program at UCC. He employs Learn and Earn students between semesters for PC deployment, as well as deployment of new software on campus computers. This repetitive and time consuming task is done before every new term to clean computers and make them run faster and more efficiently. The Learn and Earn students that Stutes employs help him accomplish these goals.
Stutes receives many phone calls from employers seeking information on the different tasks students do for him while in the program.
“I appreciate tremendously the opportunity and help that the Learn and Earn program has brought to me; it’s a great learning experience for students,” Stutes said.
Students have to be taking six credits or more, must be able to work 15 hours or less each week and must work in positions related to their educational goals term by term. The positions are primarily for students in the computer technology field; however some positions in project management and administrative support are available.
Some of the work computer technology students may do includes maintaining web pages, supporting computer labs, cabling, networking, installing software and technology related tutoring.
Administrative or business students may work on varying projects such as office support, office projects, filing, printing, copying, data entry and other tasks as needed.
College departments and employees interested in working with Learn and Earn students must fill out paperwork. The paperwork describes various skills the student will learn and the type of experience the student will gain from working in the position.
Currently 12 students are enrolled in the program. Over the last year there were as many as 38 students enrolled. The number of students active in the Learn and Earn program varies depending on the demand of college employees and the availability of students to work for them.
Students gain experience from the program. The experience can also go on a job resume to help obtain employment in the future.
Williams encourages students to apply even if they are unsure of their skills because of the diversity of opportunities available. Students generally get notified by e-mail when and if a position becomes available.
Ashlie Miller, administrative assistant for the dean of CTE is able to help students and employees through the application process. Students or employees interested in the Learn and Earn program can contact the CTE office at 541-440-4605 or e-mail them at CTE.Office@umpqua.edu
| The Mainstream is a student publication of Umpqua Community College. | About us | Advertising | Archives |