Education at Work program connects college students with healthcare jobs to earn valuable career experience – and money for college.
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.
"Arizona's students are the future of our state, and we are proud to be part of their success," said Joe Greenberg, chief operating officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. "Alongside Education at Work, we are able to provide career-ready skills and financial stability to help build a better workforce for Arizona."
Nationally, an estimated 600,000 participate in the Federal Work Study program, often in on-campus jobs. 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.
Participating students at ASU develop resume-ready skills and experience working on behalf of AZ Blue's Customer Advocacy Team. In addition to acquiring skills and earning hourly wages, ASU students also earn up to $5,250 per year of employer-paid tuition assistance to help significantly offset the cost of their education.
Since 2021, the program has doubled in size from an initial pilot of 25 students to more than 50 current students. The outcomes are impressive. Participating students have achieved significantly higher graduation rates than their peers, while earning more than $38 million in wages and tuition assistance. Nationwide, more Education at Work students are employed working full-time after graduation.
"Blue Cross Blue Shift of Arizona gave me the opportunity to gain more knowledge of the healthcare field," said Jacqueline Gonzalez, one of the ASU students working with AZ Blue. "I feel more confident in obtaining a full-time position as a healthcare major after graduation."
Since its inception in 2012, Education at Work has awarded over $95 million in combined wages and tuition assistance to nearly 8,000 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.
"We're proving that college affordability and economic mobility are two sides of the same coin. Meaningful career experiences do not have an outsized impact on the odds of success after college, they enable students to put a significant debt in college cost," said Jaime Nunez, president of Education at Work, which is a member of the national nonprofit Strada Collaborative. "Employers like Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona know that harnessing the potential of college students can not only solve short-term talent needs, but also help to strengthen the workforce of the future."
Students at Arizona State University can apply for opportunities with Education at Work and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona at educationatwork.org/apply.
Blue Cross ® Blue Shield ® of Arizona (AZ Blue) is committed to helping Arizonans get healthier faster and stay healthier longer. With a mission to inspire health and make it easy, AZ Blue offers health insurance and related services to more than 2 million customers. AZ Blue, a non-profit company, is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. The company and its subsidiaries employ nearly 3,000 people in its Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Tucson offices. To learn more, visit azblue.com or connect with us on social media: Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook.
About Education at Work: Education at Work (EAW) 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. Our 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. To learn more, visit educationatwork.org or connect with us on social media: LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
SOURCE Education at Work
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