From its founding in 1855, Berea College has provided work so students could earn money to help pay their educational expenses. Later on, the Labor Program was established, requiring every student to work a minimum of 10 hours per week in a job that assists in the operation of the College. Today, Berea is one of only nine federally recognized work colleges in the United States. Every student earns a Labor Transcript, which documents the labor positions they have held and how well they performed each job. Employers find that graduates of Berea College have specific job skills as well as a strong work ethic, in addition to their academic abilities.
Where do our students work?
Students work in hundreds of jobs in more than 120 different departments. From herding cattle on the Berea College Farm to performing research in state-of-the-art chemistry labs, at Berea, there’s a labor position for everyone.