NEWARK — A first-of-its kind program at the University of Delaware Lerner College of Business and Economics seeks to launch the next generation of business professionals here in the First State.
UD secured a grant from the Delaware Workforce Development Board to create a year-long co-op program for rising juniors and seniors enrolled in the business college to work for a Delaware-based company. The grant will fund a coordinator to guide college students through the process of building a resume and filling out co-op applications.
WSFS Bank, CSC, Diamond Technologies, REACH Riverside and M. Davis & Sons are signed up for the program and the university expects more to join in the coming weeks. The goal is to have at least 20 students placed through the program. The co-op will offer a one-year paid position to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in the Lerner college.
While UD Lerner Career Services Center Director Jill Panté says recent graduates have been successful in finding jobs in finance, data analytics, hospitality, or other fields, even with the Covid disruptions. But with thousands of Blue Hens out in the workforce, she and her colleagues thought there could be a way to better leverage that network to give college students on-the-job training.
“We’ve tried to create this revolving door where you have a great college experience and when you graduate, you help the ones behind you, whether it be through recruitment, mentoring or holding mock interviews,” Panté said. “But as we compete with other schools, like Drexel University, we need to have something to help our students stand out in the market.”
Drexel’s co-op program is one of the oldest and largest in the United States, complete with a job database where students can submit resumes to thousands of companies, although students may also find a co-op through independent research as well. Through Drexel’s typical five-year program, a student could work up to 18 months through the co-op.
Its success is also undeniable. Drexel surveys show that of 88% students who graduated in 2022 landed a job in their field, according to an article published by the Hechinger Report in November 2024. About 48% of students receive a job offer from one of their co-op employers.
UD has traditionally helped students find and connect with prospective internships in the summer and winter breaks. But Panté said that while eight to 10 weeks of experience is good, it may not be enough in today’s job market.
“It’s a great experience and it’s a fantastic resume builder and network builder,” she said. “But they also make money, so it’s an excellent opportunity for students who are supporting their college education. You can graduate with a year of experience.”
Scott Malfitano, the chair of the Delaware Workforce Development Board, also had a hand in developing the co-op. He said that it was imperative to keep Delaware’s young residents and college students here as they start their careers, as the state competes against New York, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. for talent.
“We’re really trying to create a bridge between the University and businesses in our state,” Malfitano said in a prepared statement. “And we want to keep homegrown talent here in Delaware after they graduate. We also want to keep those students who come from out of state to Delaware here when they see the wonderful opportunities that are available. It’s important to have students see Wilmington, Dover, Middletown and other parts of the state; we want them to see the opportunities that are here, and they’ll find out that businesses are hungry, and they want to keep the talent here.”
With the financial support of the grant, UD also hired Brandon White as the career services program coordinator to help the Lerner College career services team build the infrastructure and workflow for the co-op program. White has already been meeting with students about the program and answering any questions out there.
From there, White said the plan is to start meeting students for resume reviews before sending them out to employers. Right now, the idea of UD offering its own co-op is exciting to many students – and the hope is that excitement will trickle down to the employers to make the program sustainable.
“We don’t know the benefit to the workforce, to prepare students to jump in and step into a job and be able to contribute in a manner that is faster than [the employers] had seen in the past,” White said. “I do think it’s going to strengthen not only the pipelines for talent, but I think you will also see a more polished and prepared student when they step onto the job day one – because it’s not truly day one. They have been doing some of the work in the capacity for a year.”
As the program is still in the development stage, interviews for students interested in a job through the co-op will be conducted and job offers will be finalized through May. The program will officially start in June.
Businesses that may be interested in participating in the UD Lerner College of Business and Economics co-op program can fill out the form here.
