Most days, 33-year-old Rose Mata can be found at the Verizon Wireless Smart Store on Nellis Boulevard.
Mata, the store’s general manager, and her staff teach customers about the latest wireless technology and guide them in buying mobile devices. The store hosts wireless workshops that show people how to manage their smartphones and iPads.
But after the store closes, Mata switches roles. She becomes the student. For the past year and a half, she has pursued a degree in business management from the University of Phoenix using Verizon’s tuition assistance program.
Getting a college degree had been on her mind for years.
Susan Adamek, the Director of the Education Department at St. Rose Dominican Hospitals on Thursday, February 5, 2015. Photo by: L.E. Baskow
“I wanted to get my degree for so long, but I never thought I had the time,” Mata said. “Verizon’s flexibility and financial assistance are making it easier.”
Sixty-one percent of U.S. companies provided undergraduate tuition assistance to employees in 2013, and 59 percent offered assistance for graduate work, according to the Society for Human Resource Management.
Since its inception in 2000, the Verizon Wireless tuition assistance program has spent $51 million nationally furthering employees’ education. Full-time and part-time employees are eligible for the program, which offers up to $8,000 a year for tuition at an accredited university.
Students maintain eligibility by earning at least a “C” in each course, and they must commit to continue working for Verizon for two years after they graduate.
“Our program is designed to encourage lifetime learning,” said Shelyse Anderson, associate director of talent acquisition for Verizon Wireless. “By removing financial barriers, we are able to help our employees achieve their lifelong dreams of obtaining their education.”
Susan Adamek is close to achieving her dream. The director of education at St. Rose Dominican Hospitals not only is in charge of the company’s tuition assistance program, she also is a participant. Adamek expects to graduate in May from UNLV with a Ph.D. in nursing education.
“I’m so grateful I didn’t have to choose between my job and my education,” Adamek said. “I work for a company that actually supports my decision to go back to school.”
Adamek said her degree would have cost $45,000 if not for Dignity Health’s tuition reimbursement program. With the company contributing $5,200 a year toward her education, Adamek will pay roughly half the cost.
Both Verizon Wireless and Dignity Health representatives said they had seen returns on their investment.
“Happy employees mean a higher rate of customer satisfaction,” Anderson said.
With plans to transform more than 1,700 retail locations into Smart Stores over the next few years, Verizon is investing in recruiting and grooming staff to meet expansion needs and customer demands. Anderson says the tuition assistance program promotes personal and professional development, which in turn improves the company culture and advances workers’ skill sets.
“Being a student has made me more efficient as a general manager,” said Mata, who is taking two online courses.
Mata said learning to juggle work and school schedules improved her time management and sharpened her critical-thinking skills.
Adamek said investing in employee education is a good idea for many reasons, including a measurable improvement in patient outcomes.
In 2013, the Journal of Nursing Administration released the results of a study on staff education levels from 21 health care systems nationwide. Hospitals staffed with more nurses with at least four-year degrees reported fewer complications and patient deaths. A similar study found an average reduction of 7.47 deaths per 1,000 patients treated by nurses with baccalaureate degrees.
“Our program not only develops leaders, it creates an internal pipeline for promotion and increases employee retention,” Adamek said.
Unlike Verizon, Dignity Health doesn’t require workers who receive tuition assistance to sign contracts guaranteeing employment after graduation. Full- and part-time workers need only to have been with the company for six months before becoming eligible for the 20-year-old tuition reimbursement program.
“We haven’t needed to implement a minimum-employment criteria because our employees see how committed we are to improving their lives, and it makes them want to stick around,” Adamek said.
Adamek said being a part-time student has given her better insight into staff needs and has made her a better professional.
“I have become more conscious of my instructors and am constantly aware of new education research and how it may benefit our staff,” she said.
Said Mata: “If you have a company that provides tuition assistance, don’t wait to take advantage of it. It will only propel you forward in your career.”