By Evan Filandrianos, Currier Times Staff///

Curry College recently announced a Job Guarantee Program, as The Currier Times previously reported. Now, it’s time to implement the big plans which have received regional and national coverage as the first of its kind in Massachusetts, and one of the first in the entire country.

According to “The Curry Commitment” page on the college website, the new program called Curry Commitment is dedicated to full-time undergraduate students. The goal is to prepare students to enter the workforce seamlessly after graduating. The school plans to conduct the transition by integrating its career readiness programming with experiential learning opportunities within the undergraduate experience.

According to Curry president, Jay Gonzalez, if students meet certain requirements, then Curry College guarantees the student will have a job requiring a college degree within six months of graduation. Students can rest assured that if they meet these requirements, they will, for certain, have a job.

However, if for some reason, the school does not follow through on this promise, they will offer students certain benefits. These include a paid internship, pay the student’s loans for up to a year, or give them 6-credits towards graduate school at Curry, and the decision is entirely for the student. 

Gonzalez said that the school is holding itself accountable and leading the way in delivering what students desire from their investment in college. 

Students who transfer to Curry with less than 60 credits may also be eligible for the program.

First-year students, or the Class of 2027, are the first who will be included in the new Job Guarantee. The school will be asking for students that are eligible and desire to participate in the program to acknowledge it formally, by signing an enrollment document.

First-Year students interviewed by The Currier Times, expressed excitement for the program to be coming to Curry.

“I think that it sounds like a great idea!” said Divaliz Salcedo, a First-Year Nursing major.

Kate Wilber, is another First-Year student majoring in Public Health and Wellness who was supportive.

“It sounds good to me!” said Wilber.

As the guarantee roles out, the college will make public reports on outcomes.

However, how do students who are not First-Year students feel about this program? As they are not included.

Val Geter, a Junior majoring in Communication with a concentration in Video Game Studies and Game Design said, “It sucks, could’ve been cool to have that commitment, but I’m not mad.”

Joshua Hendrigran, a junior Accounting major felt it was beneficial to implement.

“I am happy that the year 2027 gets this commitment but I think it should have been applied to all years,” said Hendrigan.

The school notes that although the class of 2024, 2025 and 2026 are not eligible for the Job Guarantee, the program will still offer all students an avenue to sharpen their skils and habits for their own job readiness.

The requirement to make it into the Curry Commitment Program is to have a minimum GPA of 2.8, a declared major by the first day of your junior year, graduate within four years of your enrolled time, and participate in a set of required career programs. These include cooperating in social networking services, such as Handshake and LinkedIn, and working on Resumes. Also, it is important to prepare what is asked for in career advising appointments or perhaps different seminars and learning activities that are currently experimental. 

There are still unknowns regarding the program. According to Gonzalez, the program is investing in infrastructure for career readiness and is still finalizing the details of the commitment. He wants students to know they can “Count on Curry.”

As Curry College is leading the way, many colleges will presumably be looking at us to see how the program goes. According to an article published by Inside Higher Ed, Sarah Weissman mentions that the Job Guarantee is a “bold play.”

In the Inside Higher Ed article, Dereck Anderson, who is Educations Futures senior vice president, which is a division of the American Council on Education, said that Job Guarantee type programs also serve as a pledge to employers that students will be ready for the job market. 

Anderson feels that Job Guarantee programs will likely proliferate, especially in college areas that serve dynamic needs in the workforce.

Curry’s jobs program will hopefully– according to Gonzalez–boost enrollment along with retention. 

Corynne Stollerman, an administrative assistant at Curry’s Global and Career Services, said they will be ramping up to help all students, as they are already doing.

“CGCS is going to work hard to support Curry Students throughout their 4 years by helping with career exploration, resume writing, and securing meaningful experimental learning experiences,” said Stollerman.