In a move that revolutionizes how college students access the world of work, Upwork Inc. (Nasdaq: UPWK), the world’s work marketplace that connects businesses with independent talent from across the globe, is partnering with Podium Education (Podium), the nation’s fastest-growing higher education experiential learning company, to provide undergraduate students with prioritized access to paid projects this summer.

The world of work has changed, with many more young professionals abandoning traditional conventional full-time employment in favor of more flexible career alternatives like freelancing. According to research released by the Upwork Research Institute, 53% of Gen Z freelancers work full-time hours on freelance projects, abandoning traditional 9-to-5 jobs and seeing freelancing as a fulfilling career alternative. College students are now equipping themselves with the skills and resources needed to take control of their careers while also embracing more dynamic ways of working.

“This generation of college students inherently knows the future of work is flexible and can be delivered from anywhere in the world. We're excited to onboard great talent directly from the Podium network of iconic [American] universities," said Dave Bottoms, GM of the Upwork Marketplace. "The cutting edge skills and experiences students gain through Podium's programs make them highly sought-after talent to deliver value to our customers hiring on Upwork. This partnership not only benefits students seeking real-world paid opportunities, but also offers our clients direct access highly skilled, ambitious talent ready to drive business impact.”

Podium partners with over 70 universities including Georgetown University, University of Arizona and the University of Texas at Austin, to deliver the Global Career Accelerator (“Accelerator”), an innovative, for-credit, fully-digital program that exposes students to in-demand areas like marketing, coding, and Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) through real-world projects. The Accelerator runs as an elective part of the degree program for over one million college students.

Upwork, which is trusted by over 850,000 clients ranging from one-person startups to large, Fortune 100 enterprises, helped facilitate over $3.8 billion in talent earnings in 2023 and represents more than 10,000 skills across 125+ categories of work. Participating students will not only gain practical work experience but companies will benefit from this infusion of new, forward-thinking talent. 

This partnership scales access to real-world experience for college students from any background and enables them to generate a return on investment from their degrees while still in college. 

“This partnership is the latest step forward in our mission to bridge the gap between college and career,” said Christopher Parrish, Co-Founder and President of Partnerships. “Students understand that a career path is not linear, but requires exploration and discovery. Upwork unlocks an incredible opportunity for students to generate income, build experience and craft their career journey.”

Accelerator students build competency in tools like Shopify, Python, and emerging AI applications. Additionally, students work in teams with peers from over 60 countries, earn 1-6 college credits, and are awarded micro-credentials and certificates. Committed to opening access to work-based learning experiences, the Accelerator has zero prerequisites and is open to students from all majors and backgrounds.

Upon completion of the Accelerator, students will gain custom access to the Upwork platform, specialized coaching to navigate the freelancing experience, and increased exposure for showcasing their projects and credentials to organizations around the globe. 

“The skills and experience acquired in the Accelerator cut across disciplines, cultures, and industries,” commented Sonia Feigenbaum, Senior Vice Provost at the University of Texas - Austin. “The best way to demonstrate the value of this toolkit is to connect students directly with paid project opportunities at organizations around the world.”

Students enrolled in the Accelerator at Podium’s university partners will gain access to the Upwork platform beginning in August 2024.