The University of Mary Washington has received a $24,994 grant from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) to refocus work-study jobs to internship experiences. The one-year grant provides start-up funding for a transformational process, one which starts with student feedback and aims to better understand the data and insights around student employment on campus.
UMW’s Center for Career and Professional Development leads the grant-funded project, in collaboration with the University’s Student Employment Work Group, which aims to find the best ways to enhance the student employment experience by convening the people, process and technology needed to support career development for students. The insights discovered in the process of completing this grant project will enhance on-campus employment experiences, particularly for students who rely on federal work-study as part of their academic funding.
“This grant funds an important part of our strategic effort to prepare our students for Life After Mary Washington,” says Kimberly Young, associate provost for career and workforce. “We know that students who participate in internships have the opportunity to apply their academic knowledge and reflect on their experiences which in turn builds their competence as they approach their careers in our regional economy and beyond.”
In this third round of the Transformation Federal Work-Study grant awards, SCHEV awarded more than $524,000 in grants to four institutions of higher education to help transform on-campus federal work-study jobs to function more like internships. SCHEV awarded the grants as part of the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP). Germanna Community College, George Mason University, James Madison University also received grants, with details in the SCHEV news release.
“These grants will help Virginia institutions transform their work study programs to accommodate the specific needs of students, while also providing high quality work-based learning experiences,” said Scott Fleming, SCHEV director. “As we continue to work to make Virginia the best state for education, providing support and flexibility for institutions to apply innovative approaches to programs like work study is critical for student success.”
UMW has received $200,000 in V-TOP grants to enhance internship and work-based learning opportunities, with a pair of $100,000 grants awarded earlier in 2024. The Student Internship Support Grant and the Internship Data Collection Grant bolster efforts to expand work-based learning at Mary Washington. In addition, a $250,000 grant awarded to Mary Washington in summer 2022, created the Rappahannock Work and Learn Collaborative (RWLC), led by Antoinette Jenkins, forming the foundation for future work.
About a third of UMW students complete an internship experience by the time they graduate, and that number continues to grow as additional opportunities open up. Through the Student Internship Support Grant, they may have direct support, up to $2,000, to offset internship-related costs such as transportation, housing, professional attire and supplies.
With the four grants, now totaling near $475,000 from SCHEV as part of the Commonwealth Innovative Internship Fund and Program, UMW is a prime partner in the region and the commonwealth for expanding internship and employment opportunities through the college experience. SCHEV administers the V-TOP program in partnership with the Virginia Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the Virginia Business Higher Education Council.
