Bethel University announced the start of a new program where the university will temporarily hire recent graduates while helping them find a permanent job.
“So we’ll give you a job for a period of time while you continue to search for your job, and they need to keep active at searching for that job, but we’ll give them real-world experience for a period of time for a temporary job, full-time, temporary job,” said Ross Allen, Bethel University president.
The program is designed for students who graduate with undergraduate degrees and aims to help those who do not secure a job within six months of receiving their diploma.
RELATED: New data shows worst job market for college grads in years
“We figured out how to get students prepared and ready to get a job. And so we’re just putting our money behind our mouth, and saying we’re committing that they will, in fact, get a job,” Ross said.
He said career preparation starts during a student’s freshman year.
“A part of our program is that there are certain steps that they take in their first year and their second year, third year, fourth year, and they continue to build. And then after graduation, they continue those activities. So, applying for jobs, meeting with the counselor,” he said. “So the whole program is really a partnership between us and the students, that we would continue to work through each of these steps.
According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York the labor market is challenging for recent graduates.
“Conditions remained challenging for recent college graduates during the second quarter of 2025. The unemployment rate averaged 5.3%, in line with the first quarter, and the underemployment rate held steady at just over 41%,” the Federal Reserve Bank of New York stated.
“I would talk with friends who they’ve applied to, maybe, like 20, 40, jobs, even, and still, thing after thing has fallen through, and that was kind of a reality check for me,” said Michaela Young, a recent Bethel graduate. “You feel the pressure in the coming months of what am I going to do after graduation? Like I am looking at the rest of my life in a sense, and how, how do I, where do I even start?”
Young credits the university for helping her get prepared for post-graduate life.
According to the University, 99% of recent graduates are employed or enrolled in graduate programs.
“The unemployment rate for the job prospects for college graduates has gotten more challenging,” Ross said. “We recognize that anxiety is there, and we want to walk alongside our students and our families to ensure that they see the value.”
RELATED: New data shows the US job market was much weaker than thought in 2024, and this year as well
Along with job placement at the university, the new program would offer recent graduates up to eight graduate-level credits in select Bethel programs, at no cost.