Cleveland State University’s Washkewicz College of Engineering is working to ensure that students are guaranteed a job after college with its new ELITE Earn & Learn Program –  a partnership connecting students with paid industry experience while they complete their degrees.

Officially launching in spring 2026 with support from the Cleveland Foundation, the initiative currently pairs students with local companies in fields like construction and manufacturing. The goal is to help students gain hands-on experience, find financial stability and secure a direct path to employment after graduation.

“The intent is to ensure that students are finding work after graduation, but before graduation – so kind of bridging that gap,” Amanda Gist, ELITE program manager, said. “And the ELITE program is specifically so that students can work concurrently to going to school.”

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Colleges across the country have introduced variations of “earn and learn” programs, but Cleveland State University has taken the concept a step further. Its ELITE program – short for earning, learning, integrating, training and employing – builds on the traditional model by offering a more comprehensive pathway from education to employment.

“We want to ensure that the students are getting a very holistic and well-rounded program with many layers of support and the skills that they will need to get ready for joining the industry,” Gist said.

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According to the dean of the college, Dr. Richard Schoephoerster, the program was inspired by a need for skilled graduates in the engineering workforce. The college serves two of engineering's biggest industries – construction and manufacturing – both of which are struggling to hire those coming from trade schools or professional skills.

“This program is actually designed to do both of those,” Schoephoerster said. “To work with either high school graduates or people in their community to help them get a job with a company, but while they're doing that, they come through our program and they do a formal apprenticeship program.”

Currently, seven companies are partnering with the program, with 12 students from various majors enrolled, starting with juniors in the first year of the pilot. The plan is to expand to freshmen and sophomores, offering pathways that include apprenticeships and financial support, allowing students to earn certifications while working with partner companies.

Upon joining the program, students don’t have to choose between competing priorities – they can pursue their education while working or supporting their families. Gist emphasized that any obstacles, such as financial concerns or transportation issues, can be addressed through reimbursements and support services. The program is designed to remove barriers and provide the resources students need to succeed both academically and professionally.

“We’re really trying to help bridge that gap so that students don’t have to face those types of uphill questions when they’re enrolling,” Gist said. “Right at any time in their lives, we want to be there to help them and give them that opportunity.”

According to the dean, the goal is to eventually expand the program to every major at CSU. He envisions a future where about 10% of students participate in the program, providing support to those who might  struggle to complete a bachelor’s degree.

“The long term goal is that this is available in every one of our majors across the entire university,” Schoephoerster said. “To me, it would be great if sometime down the road 10% of our students went through a program like this – that would be helping a lot of students who otherwise may not be able to get through a bachelor's degree program.”

He emphasized that such an initiative could make a meaningful difference for many students while strengthening ties between the university and the community. Achieving this will require building strong, lasting connections with local employers, which the program helps foster.

“That means that we're going to have lots of real strong community connections to the employers,” Schoephoerster said. “Because that's what this is going to do; is get us even better connected with them in the long run.” 

If students are interested in joining, they can visit the CSU’s Washkewicz College of Engineering website under the Co-op and Professional Development page where the ELITE Program is listed. Starting spring 2026, students can apply to be a part of the program.

“We're still building the infrastructure, but as of spring 2026, students can start to apply.” Gist said. “As a landscape in career development and assistance, shifts and changes will be very strong… despite all the change, we will always be there to ensure that students are getting a wonderful education, but simultaneously, working in Cleveland.”