Career Scholars Program: A Competitive Advantage for Northeast Nebraska

Northeast Nebraska’s Wayne State College (WSC) partners with local businesses to develop workforce training programs that help current students succeed and ensure the region’s continued economic prosperity. One particular program, the Career Scholars Program, is a newer initiative that has seen great success already, creating a competitive advantage for the area. 

Career Scholars Program

The Career Scholars Program combines classroom education with real work experience for college credit. The program supports workforce and economic development in Nebraska while providing students with an affordable four-year degree and career experience. 

“We recruit up to 75 students into this program each year. The program includes those studying business, education, industrial technology, information technology, computer science, criminal justice, or communication,” said Dr. Marysz Rames, Wayne State College President. “The students regularly meet with community leaders in the Norfolk Area, on a personal and professional basis, to develop healthy working relationships. In their fourth year, they move to Downtown Norfolk. They work for one of our partner businesses for 30 hours a week, get paid, and receive 18 credit hours for a two-semester program. Additionally, the program has a career scholarship.”

The Career Scholars Program was created in 2020 amidst the pandemic, and its first cohort of students graduated in 2024. Students newly enrolled in the program receive a $33,000 scholarship over four years toward the cost of attendance and earn college credit while getting paid to work during their senior year. 

“The program graduates its second cohort this May 2025,” said Dr. Rames. “28 students graduated in 2024, and 96%  of the graduating class remained in the state. 56% of the 2024 graduating class remained in Northeast Nebraska. Of Wayne State College graduates, 79.9% eventually return to the state, and as of right now, the Career Scholars rate for return to state is 16% higher.”

Based on the program’s initial success, an anonymous donor has agreed to double the first three years of the scholarship associated with the program (a $2.6M donation) for students beginning with the class entering in 2024. This donation will ensure the continued success of the program. 

Other Programs Creating a Competitive Advantage 

While the Career Scholars program is the newest initiative that targets workforce development, Wayne State College has a long history of responding to critical needs in the state’s workforce. Established in 1989, the Rural Health Opportunities Program (RHOP) has served successfully as a unique cooperative program between WSC and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) to meet the medical care needs of Nebraska’s rural communities. Students interested in returning to their hometown communities as medical professionals can select from one of 11 professional fields of specialization to earn their medical credentials and return to make a difference in rural Nebraska. 

Similarly, students desiring to return to their rural communities to provide legal services as practicing attorneys can pursue Wayne State’s Rural Law Opportunities Program (RLOP). The program, which was created in 2016 in partnership with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), aims to ensure that rural Nebraskans have access to legal services and recruits students from rural areas to fill that need in that state. RHOP and RLOP provide guaranteed admission to UNMC and UNL College of Law, respectively, provided students meet the requirements of the programs.

Growing Talent in Northeast Nebraska 

Workforce training programs in Northeast Nebraska, like the Career Scholars Program, create a growing and dynamic workforce. Local and expanding businesses benefit from a strong talent pipeline, while students enter the workforce with less debt and more work experience. 

“If a new company were looking at moving to the Norfolk Area, they would have this talent churn every year. It’s something to get excited about,” said Dr. Rames. “I will tell you, nobody in the country is doing this like we are.”

Local businesses interested in partnering with Wayne State College for the Career Scholars Program should click here. Students interested in applying can find the application here.