U.S. News & World Report recently featured Blackburn College in a story exploring how work colleges help students gain professional experience while pursuing their degrees. The piece highlights Blackburn’s distinctive student-managed Work Program, with President Larry K. Lee discussing how the program encourages students to explore career interests and develop workplace skills, and senior Kayveon Kirk sharing how the experience fosters personal and professional growth.
“Admitted students at Blackburn, for instance, select several work areas of interest before being assigned their first job. Job changes are allowed in the following semester or year, but require the submission of a resume and cover letter and participation in an interview, President Larry K. Lee says. “We also coach them, too,” he adds. “When the interview is over, we ask for the supervisors – who are also students – to give them feedback on what they did well or what they might have prepared for differently. Or our career services might help them with their resume and those things, too.”
“(Work Colleges) put effort into you growing in that workplace and taking something away from it that can be used in your future.” — Kayveon Kirk, senior graphic design major.”