Prospective Working Learners

Welcome! We're glad you are interested in becoming a working learner at VCU. Career readiness can take many forms, including experiences inside and outside the classroom. Work-based learning can give you a leg up and help prepare you to enter the workforce, all while supplementing your student experience and growing your connection to VCU.

We know that starting your student employment journey can be intimidating — but with plenty of resources and support, you can start your professional career right here at VCU!

Types of Work-Based Learning

Work-based learning (WBL) is one of the most impactful learning experiences at universities. From developing transferable skills to increasing wages after graduation, paid employment experiences can pave the way for all students to enhance their future.

While WBL takes many forms, at VCU we celebrate WBL occurring all across our campus. Thousands of VCU students work for the university, and VCU remains the largest employer of VCU graduates — we’re invested in a top-tier work experience!

For students, WBL can take a few different forms:

• Student Employment:

  • Student Worker Positions: working learners work part-time at various times during the year to directly support the operations of academic and administrative departments for an hourly rate or stipend

  • Federal Work Study Positions: as part of their financial aid package, some working learners receive federal funding to support their pay in an on- or off-campus position during the academic year and participate in the FWS program to enhance their learning

• Internships: supervised, structured work experiences that are time-limited and project-based with a tangible outcome or artifact; should facilitate individual students' career exploration, professional networking, transferable skill-building, and personal reflection. Though not always tied directly to one's major or course of study, internships often complement or supplement academic pursuits, leadership experiences, or other interests.
  

• Peer Leadership: working learners are selected and trained for leadership positions oriented toward other students’ success; these positions are often paid and meet critical functions of student-facing units

• Student Leadership: working learners serve in various student-led organizations to cultivate belonging and advocate for campus and community change; these positions are usually unpaid but still provide relevant, transferable experience and broadly enhance the VCU community