WKU partners with job search engine to expand Learn and Earn program

Students earn wages, receive tuition scholarships

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (June 27, 2016) — Western Kentucky University’s Learn and Earn program is partnering with SOKY Jobs to increase awareness, expand business partnerships and meet the growing workforce needs within the region.

The program partners with area companies and businesses to employ traditional and non-traditional college students. Students work part-time for wages and receive college scholarships from their employers.

SOKY Jobs is a premier job search engine that connects Southern Kentucky’s employers with employees.

“We literally have hundreds of main campus WKU students in our program who want to begin working in the fall,” said Leslie Witty, project manager for Learn and Earn. “We are hopeful that in working in cooperation with SOKY Jobs, we can establish more business partnerships this summer so we can not only help these students, but quickly help employers with workforce needs as well.”

Once approved into the program, students earn job training before being placed in a pool of potential employees. Upon being hired, students earn an hourly wage—typically about $10 an hour—and a 50 percent tuition scholarship for staying employed through the semester and keeping at least a 2.0 grade-point average.