LANCASTER – The University of Antelope Valley is calling on local employers with this message: Hire a UAV graduate in September and the University will pay you.
“It’s straightforward, there’s no smoke and mirrors, there’s no small print,” said UAV Co-Founder Marco Johnson. “The way the program works is that any employer who hires a graduate from UAV during the month of September, if that employer maintains that employee for 90 days, UAV will reimburse that employer up to $2,000 or one months salary.”
Johnson joined Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris for a campus press conference Tuesday to announce the university’s new Smart Hire Employer Incentive Program, an economic stimulus initiative designed to jump-start the local economy through the creation of jobs for UAV graduates.
“For founders Sandra and Marco Johnson to step up and essentially put their money where their mouth is in order to help our residents and businesses during this tough economy is extremely commendable,” said Parris.
To fund the Smart Hire Program, Johnson says the university reallocated funds that had been set aside for marketing and construction.
“We decided we wanted to infuse this money instead into our community,” he said.
In addition to providing financial incentives for hiring UAV graduates, the Smart Hire Program will also complete all pre-screening work, allowing employers to save time, money and effort while finding the right candidate for their business.
Johnson said the university will also make conference rooms available for employers to hold individual interviews and launch a website where employers can screen potential UAV candidates. Employers will be able to list the types of characteristics that they are looking for in an employee and within seconds, the available graduates and their resumes will pop up on the screen, Johnson said.
“This streamlined hiring process alone is a great enough incentive for any business to consider UAV graduates for employment,” said Parris. “The reimbursement deal is a guarantee and simply icing on the cake.”
Johnson says the Smart Hire Program is a creative solution to the challenges facing graduates in the poor economy.
“If our local university doesn’t take that head on, then what are we here for,” Johnson said.
The Smart Hire program offers employers up to $2,000 in reimbursement for a UAV graduate’s first month’s salary. This incentive applies to graduates hired during the month of September. To qualify, graduates must be hired under a title which directly relates to their program of study. The position may be part-time or full-time, but must remain filled for at least 90 days by the graduate.
For more information on the Smart Hire program, contact Crystal Stephens at (661) 726-1911 or via email at crystal.stephens@uav.edu.