University of Utah and Education at Work Team Up to Offer Students Work Experience and Tuition Assistance

The partnership prepares students for future jobs while reducing student debt

SALT LAKE CITY – Education at Work (EAW), a rapidly growing nonprofit, announced a new partnership with the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business that will create part-time jobs for students supporting a multinational technology company. This partnership connects college students with meaningful work while enabling them to graduate with less debt.

By January 2018, 125 students will have the opportunity to work for EAW on behalf of a multinational technology company in chat-based technical support roles based in a new contact center located in Salt Lake City. Education at Work is currently accepting applications for these roles at www.educationatwork.org/apply.

Through this innovative model, University of Utah students will receive competitive wages plus the opportunity to earn up to $5,250 in additional tax-free tuition annually. The University of Utah joins other EAW university employers in addressing the $1.4 trillion national student debt crisis, while building real-world skills. Other current universities sharing in this mission include Arizona State University, Northern Kentucky University and Mount St. Joseph University.

“This new program places students’ coursework in the context of a real-life work-based experiences. It is an opportunity to bring academic concepts to life,” said Taylor Randall, Dean of University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business. “Through Education at Work, our students will have a unique opportunity to provide technical support services on behalf of a world-class company, while reducing their debt and enjoying a student-centered work environment and related soft skills development.”

Since its inception in 2012, EAW has awarded over $20 million in combined wages and tuition assistance to nearly 3,000 students nationwide. The organization currently provides students with relevant customer service skills with leading employers across the technology, market research and financial services sectors.

Currently 36 percent of EAW student-employees identify as first-generation college students and 40 percent of EAW student-employees are students of color. All EAW student-employees receive one-on-one coaching from supervisors and are supported by career development programs such as an online learning library of modules with topics ranging from interview skills to financial literacy.

“I think that Education at Work will benefit students so much! An opportunity to graduate with little to no debt, and be able to say that you worked on behalf of an incredible technology company; that just doesn’t come around very often,” said Jace Wilko, University of Utah student and EAW technical support ambassador. “Education at Work will empower students at the University of Utah to achieve more, focus more on their schooling and achieve the career goals that they have for the future.”

In addition to experiencing meaningful paid internship experiences while in school, EAW graduates have gone on to work directly for clients or other industry leading companies in roles such as marketing, finance, IT and investing. The opportunity to meet critical business needs while building a highly qualified talent pipeline and supporting EAW’s mission deeply resonates with employers.

EAW is a proud member of Strada Education Network, a national nonprofit dedicated to improving lives by catalyzing more direct and promising pathways between education and employment.

ABOUT EDUCATION AT WORK

Education at Work is a nonprofit contact center provider helping college students graduate with less debt by working with clients to address customer service needs through a high-achieving, collegiate workforce. To learn more about Education at Work, visit educationatwork.org.

ABOUT THE DAVID ECCLES SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

The Eccles School is synonymous with ‘doing.’ The Eccles experience provides a world-class business education with a unique, entrepreneurial focus on real-world scenarios where students put what they learn into practice long before graduation. Founded in 1917 and educating more than 6,000 students annually, the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business offers eight undergraduate majors, four MBAs, seven other graduate programs, a Ph.D. in seven areas and executive education curricula. The School is also home to nine institutes, centers and initiatives that deliver academic research and support an ecosystem of entrepreneurship and innovation. For more information, visit Eccles.Utah.edu or call 801-581-7676.