Misericordia jobs program wins honor

DALLAS TWP. – A well-known financial magazine has recognized Misericordia University’s Guaranteed Placement Program and named the university a “Best School for Standing By Grads.”

Misericordia was one of two schools to earn that honor in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine’s special “Best of Everything 2009” December issue.

The Guaranteed Placement Program guarantees placement in a paid internship for graduates who aren’t employed within six months of graduation.

“Misericordia does such a good job offering challenging academics and career preparation that we have never needed to use the guarantee since the program began in 1999,” said Bernadette Rushmer, director of the college’s Insalaco Center for Career Development.

Shannon Gleason, a May 2009 graduate went through the program and made sure she wasn’t the first to take the school up on the offer.

Three months after graduating with a master’s degree in occupational therapy, she accepted a position as an occupational therapist at the Guardian Eldercare Center in Nanticoke.

“One of the chief requirements of Misericordia’s Guaranteed Placement Program is the completion of an experiential learning assignment in the student’s field of study,” said Rushmer. “Oftentimes, our students choose to complete that requirement within the regional community in our hospitals, schools and other businesses. This aspect of the program benefits the students and our region. Once at a job site, employers realize our students are valuable assets and, in turn, the students learn more about the host communities, become attached and decide to work and live in Northeastern Pennsylvania.”

Gleason, a native of Chambersburg, decided to stay in Northeastern Pennsylvania where she felt comfortable and said jobs in her field were available. She said the program has many benefits, but for her the best were those regarding career development.

“They focus on more professional skills and closer to graduation they help with resume development and interview skills. It really helps you prepare for a career,” said Gleason, 23, of Nanticoke.

The program is a four-year career development course that begins during the student’s freshman year. It offers a series of career-focused activities that are designed to help Misericordia students meet the needs of future employers. Students who commit to the program for four years are offered a wide variety of activities such as leadership training, diversity awareness, building a portfolio, mock interview sessions and resume preparation.

The other college listed in Kiplinger’s “Standing by Grads” category was Manchester College, in North Manchester, Ind., which was cited for offering a year’s worth of free classes to qualifying graduates who remain jobless six months after graduation.

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University’s placement system ensures grads a paid internship

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