Purdue University Global partnership to enhance CityWorks DC career preparation program

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A partnership between Purdue University Global and CityWorks DC will enhance career preparation for high school students in the Washington, D.C. area and potentially other markets in the future.

CityWorks DC operates a program called CareerWise DC that offers a three-year applied-learning environment for students and an innovative talent-acquisition strategy for businesses. Purdue Global will bolster that initiative by providing educational products and credentials that support the needs of the CareerWise DC employer partners. The initial portfolio will include microcredentials, course bundles, certificates and degrees in the areas of business operations, financial services and information technology, and will expand to include additional industries in future years.

Additionally, Purdue Global will provide resources and individualized support to assist students in pursuit of their career goals, while collaborating with their employers and professional organizations in mutually beneficial relationships to best educate students about industry trends and employment opportunities.

“We are pleased to partner with CityWorks DC on a program that aligns with our mission while expanding to a new demographic,” Purdue Global Chancellor Frank Dooley said. “Leveraging existing courses, we will deliver credentials that will strengthen the academic portfolio of high school students that mirror their hands-on work experience. We hope to build on the success of this partnership in other areas across the country.”

Currently, CareerWise DC students split time between their traditional high school classroom and the workplace. They earn a wage while receiving hands-on work experience as an apprentice where they can apply their classroom learning each week. CityWorks DC anticipates that the typical apprentice would complete between three and six Purdue Global courses across the full apprenticeship.

“CityWorks DC’s partnership with Purdue Global will provide our youth apprentices with the training and credentials they need to be successful in the workplace and competitive in the job market,” said Lateefah Durant, CityWorks DC vice president of innovation. “This partnership enables participants to earn debt-free college credits in their career pathway and provides the academic support vital to student success. CityWorks DC looks forward to collaborating with Purdue Global to provide high-quality postsecondary education to DC residents.”

About Purdue University Global

Purdue University Global delivers personalized online education tailored to the unique needs of adults who have work or life experience beyond the classroom, enabling them to develop essential academic and professional skills with the support and flexibility they need to achieve their career goals. It offers personalized paths for students to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, desired pace, military service, previous college credits and other considerations – no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global serves approximately 36,000 students (as of January 2021), most of whom earn their degree online. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. It is affiliated with Purdue University’s flagship institution, a highly ranked public research university located in West Lafayette, Indiana. Purdue University also operates two regional campuses in Fort Wayne and Northwest Indiana, as well as serving science, engineering and technology students at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus. For more information, please visit purdueglobal.edu.

About CityWorks DC

CityWorks DC is an entrepreneurial nonprofit venture sponsored by CityBridge Education. CityWorks DC’s mission is to reshape education-to-employment pathways in Washington, D.C., by mobilizing key stakeholders and resources in order to dramatically increase the number of young people who secure the family-sustaining jobs available in our growing regional economy. Our vision is that all DC young people in DC have the “social mobility trifecta”: 1) valuable certifications and credentials, 2) paid, relevant work experience, and 3) a supportive professional network. To provide this trifecta to all students, especially those who are marginalized and historically overlooked, CityWorks DC focuses its work on redesigning how young people experience high school, postsecondary, and early employment. To accomplish this bold vision, CityWorks DC’s theory of change has two complementary strands: 1) launch a targeted set of innovative programs that work directly with young people and 2) lead systems-level initiatives that create the conditions for CityWorks programs and others to thrive and spark citywide reform across K12, postsecondary and employment.

About CareerWise DC

CareerWise DC is a citywide modern youth apprenticeship program for D.C. high schoolers in high-wage, in-demand occupations including information technology, business operations and Financial Services. CareerWise DC offers a three-year applied-learning environment for high school students and an innovative talent-acquisition strategy for businesses. With an apprenticeship, students earn debt-free college credit and nationally recognized industry certifications through meaningful work experience – all while graduating on time. In fall 2020, CityWorks DC launched the CareerWise DC pilot in partnership with Federal City Council, a consortium of business, professional, and city leaders.

Media Contact, Purdue Global: Tom Schott, 765-427-1721, tschott@purdue.edu

Sources: Frank Dooley

Lateefah Durant