HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — There is a new way for Northern Kentucky University students to get work experience on campus.
Western & Southern is opening a new contact center on campus that is expected to provide more than 200 hours of student work each week.
University officials say it will break down barriers that prevent students from getting real-world work experience and address regional workforce gaps by helping a local company to build and retain talent.
“The companies say, ‘Well, we need talent.’ We say, ‘Well, we have talent,’ said Northern Kentucky University President Dr. Ashish Vaidya. “But we have students who are also struggling, sometimes making ends meet, and we want to make sure that they don't give up on their college dreams just because of financial issues.”
The center will provide paid positions for students on campus. Dr. Vaidya estimates the company will initially need about 15 to 20 students, each working 10 to 15 hours each week.
He said having the center on campus will eliminate barriers for students, such as the need to secure transportation to commute to work. It also allows students to work flexible hours.
It could also help students get their foot in the door to potentially land job offers after graduation.
“Western & Southern says ‘Yep, we get the immediate talent to help us at this point, but we're also looking further down the road. When they graduate, these are going to be people that we're going to keep an eye out on,” Dr. Vaidya said.
