DuPont Washington Works, WVU Parkersburg sign "Learn and Earn" Agreement FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Parkersburg, W.Va. 1/27/12 – DuPont Washington Works and West Virginia University at Parkersburg signed a cooperative agreement today that will provide students an opportunity to receive chemical operator training while gaining work experience at DuPont. This agreement is the first such partnership formed under the "Learn and Earn" program sponsored by Community and Technical College System of West Virginia. This initiative is part of the Workforce Development Initiative program created by the West Virginia legislature in 2011 and is designed to foster and encourage partnerships between industry and community and technical colleges. "Learn and Earn graduates will enter the workforce with the real-world knowledge and hands-on experience needed to be successful chemical operators," said Karl J. Boelter, DuPont Plant Manager. "This is a win-win-win for WVU Parkersburg, DuPont and the students,” said WVU Parkersburg President Dr. Marie Foster Gnage. "We are very pleased that we can offer this unprecedented educational experience for students in our community." In this one-year program, students will alternate classroom learning at WVU Parkersburg with work rotations at DuPont in three-month increments over a one-year period. Students will receive hourly compensation while working at DuPont. The state of West Virginia will reimburse DuPont for half of the students' wages during the internship period. Students have already been selected for the program’s first session, which begins Feb. 27. Those interested in enrolling in the next session beginning May 2012 can visit www.wvup.edu/LearnAndEarn or call 304-424-8000. For additional information, contact:   Katie Wootton Director of Marketing & Communications WVU Parkersburg 304-424-8203 E-mail Robin Ollis Stemple External Affairs DuPont Washington Works 304-863-2513 E-mail Recent Releases News Archive