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Penn State Fayette partners with UPS to educate employees By Melanie D. Thomas
The Nittany Lion Mascot was on hand to help Penn State Fayette launch its new educational partnership with UPS. To date, about 100 New Stanton, Pa., UPS employees have taken advantage of the on-site classes. “My Penn State Fayette class is the passion of my day. It’s what makes me want to hop out of bed in the morning and go to work.” —Lee Gavlak UPS employee and Penn State Fayette student	Lee Gavlak looks forward to going to work two hours early — to go to school.   Although many people might look forward to sleeping in instead, this new Penn State student and others like her at the Penn State Fayette–United Parcel Service (UPS) site are catching an invigorating bug for learning.   “My Penn State Fayette class is the passion of my day. It’s what makes me want to hop out of bed in the morning and go to work,” Gavlak said.   Penn State Fayette is expanding beyond campus borders to meet the needs of a busy community. This year marked the first of several off-site locations, and the campus’ partnership with the United Parcel Service facility in New Stanton, Pa., has proven especially successful.   “Having Penn State Fayette come to UPS has been a godsend for me,” said Gavlak, a part-time package handler in the New Stanton facility. “It is so convenient to just get up early, go to my work site for class, then straight to work, and then I am done. I can go home, cook dinner and relax, and still I’m getting my education.”   She has taken classes since the initial opening of the site more than a year ago, and this mother of two is working to earn the Penn State Fayette– UPS certificate created especially for this partnership. The 30-hour Penn State business management certificate is the first of its kind for UPS and features courses in accounting, business law, leadership and human resource management, as well as computer and basic general education courses. Using this certificate, she plans to work her way up to an associate degree in the near future.   “How could I not take advantage of this program? With the way it is set up, with classes morning, afternoon and evening, there is no reason not to, especially with UPS providing financial reimbursement,” Gavlak said.   UPS has authorized 38 sites nationwide to pilot the “Earn and Learn Program,” which encourages employees to enhance their skills through professional education by offering tuition reimbursement. The New Stanton Hub is one of the piloted sites and has stepped up its efforts to provide an atmosphere conducive to both the student and the employee.   “The Penn State Fayette partnership with UPS New Stanton is a benchmark example of promoting workforce development,” Joseph Segilia, Penn State Fayette outreach director, said. “We’re providing UPS employees with a tangible result of their extra effort, and UPS is displaying its commitment to employee satisfaction and promoting from within.”   Alicia Vincent, area representative for Penn State Fayette continuing education, is key coordinator of the UPS site and made convenience and quality her priorities.   “We bring the campus to the students,” Vincent said. “We hold admissions and financial aid open houses on the site, fill out all paperwork, register for classes, even deliver the textbooks. Penn State Fayette faculty go to the site, and they have advising hours. The students are welcome and encouraged to visit their home Fayette campus, but they definitely don’t have to.”   UPS immediately renovated space to house computer stations, study and work areas and facilitate classes. To date, about 100 New Stanton UPS employees have taken advantage of the on-site classes.   These classes can be used toward certificate programs, which in turn support Penn State Fayette two- and four-year degrees, creating an efficient and user-friendly way for UPS employees to earn their Penn State degree, as Gavlak is doing.   “I have been watching this program grow quickly,” Gavlak said. “I tell all of my co-workers, anyone that I can, how great it is. Other people are hearing me, and my classmates, and finding out for themselves. As soon as they take the class, they’re hooked.”   The New Stanton facility is the largest distribution site in the Pittsburgh area. The facility sorts approximately 500,000 packages per day. This state-of-the-art facility employs more than 1,700 UPS employees who handle the cargo of several hundred tractor-trailer trucks, sorting their contents through a labyrinth of conveyor belts measuring 18 miles long.   “United Parcel Service’s vast array of services are designed to exceed our customer’s expectations with efficient flows of information, goods and services,” Anissa Zambruno, UPS human resources representative, said. “Along those same lines, New Stanton UPS employees enjoy a type of ‘one-stop’ service with the convenience of the on-site classes forged by Penn State Fayette’s partnership with UPS in New Stanton. It’s a ‘win-win’ for all involved.”   The Penn State Fayette classroom at UPS has become a common ground for the multitude of divisions in the plant.   “People from every level are taking these classes together — management, drivers and package handlers. The classes are fostering a working networking relationship, which is improving communications and morale,” Gavlak said.   Gavlak, who is already enrolled for two classes this fall (The Legal Environment of Business and Leadership and Motivation) said her favorite classes have been psychology and human development and family studies courses, which she describes as “therapy” that she used to start the day. When asked about a downside to the program, she could not find one, but when asked for suggestions, she had one for other corporations and universities:   “Start more programs like this, especially on-site. I can’t find words to describe how wonderful this is.”   Penn State Fayette agrees. An outreach program of Penn State Fayette