PASSHE, Major Employers Expand Partnership to Give Students Valuable Real-World Learning Experiences

Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) is expanding its work-based learning initiative, thanks to new funding to further connect universities and employers and provide students with real-world, hands-on learning experiences.

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) awarded the PASSHE Foundation a $350,000 grant for a three-year investment in work-based learning at Commonwealth, East Stroudsburg and Slippery Rock universities.

The ARC funding will benefit at least 700 students as the universities provide work-based learning earlier in students’ education through strategic faculty-employer collaborations. Participating faculty will partner with an employer to co-create learning opportunities that connect to the workplace through classroom instruction, projects or other coursework.

“This work-based learning initiative brings valuable hands-on experience into the classroom with real-world projects and lessons co-created with employers in Pennsylvania,” said Interim Chancellor Christopher Fiorentino. “Our students will gain skills and use them in practical ways while developing a strong portfolio and building the industry connections needed to secure rewarding internships or to start a career.

“PASSHE is committed to embedding work-based learning into many academic programs, and this Appalachian Regional Commission grant is helping us to expand those efforts. Ultimately, that will help launch more students into great in-demand careers and provide the workforce talent that employers need.”

The Appalachian Region Commission is an economic development partnership agency of the federal government and 13 state governments including Pennsylvania. PA’s Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) partners with ARC to identify and support projects that will build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in the Appalachian counties of Pennsylvania to reach socioeconomic parity with the nation.

“By bringing together universities and employers from across our commonwealth, this funding will provide students with hands-on learning opportunities and better prepare them for their future careers,” said Senator John Fetterman. “These grants will help develop the next generation of the Pennsylvania workforce, and I’m grateful for the Appalachian Regional Commission’s support. This is exactly the type of investment we need in Pennsylvania’s rural communities.”To secure the grant, PASSHE collaborated with Betsy Lockwood, director of project development and grants at SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG). This partnership was instrumental in successfully navigating the application process and securing the funding,

The PASSHE Foundation will direct the ARC funding in innovative ways, with the intent of expanding successful strategies to other State System universities.

“PASSHE’s work-based learning initiative is another example of the State System’s commitment to delivering the workforce talent Pennsylvania’s employers – public and private – need to grow and thrive,” said Shelley Scherer, president and CEO of PASSHE Foundation. “We are thankful to the Appalachian Regional Commission for this grant, which will amplify and accelerate these efforts.”

The PASSHE Foundation has secured several grants totaling more than $1.2 million for work-based learning projects at five State System universities, including a $750,000 grant from the Strada Education Foundation announced last year.

Value of work-based learning

Work-based learning is a powerful tool for helping students connect their education with future career opportunities. It also assists the state in addressing workforce shortages in healthcare, STEM fields, and other industries by building a stronger pipeline of talent into the workforce.

Work-based learning allows students to gain valuable industry-specific skills by completing projects and experiences recommended by employer partners and applying what they have learned in a real-world environment. Work-based learning spans many settings, from classroom instruction and academic projects to internships, apprenticeships, job shadowing and more.

Employers benefit by providing recommendations to universities and faculty for the career-relevant skills and competencies that students need in today’s marketplace. Employers also gain the opportunity to connect with talented students to identify possible interns and employees while supporting industry efforts to strengthen the pipeline of comprehensively educated and specifically skilled people into the workforce.

About PASSHE

Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) is the public university system of the commonwealth with a mission to provide a high-quality education at the lowest possible cost to students. The State System annually confers more than 20,000 degrees and has more than 800,000 living alumni, most of whom live in Pennsylvania. The State System universities are Cheyney, Commonwealth (Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield), East Stroudsburg, Indiana, Kutztown, Millersville, PennWest (California, Clarion and Edinboro), Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester universities of Pennsylvania.

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