Climb Credit Becomes the First and Only Student Lender to Connect Borrowers With Micro-Internships Through Parker Dewey

The lender, focused on funding career training, is doubling down on its career-focused mission by sharing job readiness resources with graduates of its partner programs.

NEW YORK, July 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Climb Credit announced today the launch of Micro-Internship opportunities through Parker Dewey for its borrowers. The student lender, who works primarily with early- to mid-level career switchers, has consistently been focused on providing financial access to short-term, career-advancing education. They view the partnership as an extension of their mission and impact.

Earlier this year, Climb launched a beta version of their career services platform, ClimbTalent. Through the launch of that platform, and regular user research with graduates of their programs, they determined that users needed real-world opportunities to practice their new career skills and then demonstrate those skills to employers.

“Career-switchers can be in a tough spot when they are starting their job search,” said Casey Powers, Climb Credit CEO. “They often have a wealth of experience from previous roles and a good understanding of new skills from their education program, but they have no ‘work experience’ proof of that new skill for employers. Our goal with this partnership is to give graduates some quick proof points of their skills for their resume—and give employers an opportunity to hire ‘unproven’ talent in a low-risk way.”

Parker Dewey has a strong track record of facilitating project-based opportunities, partnering with over 600 universities and other post-secondary learning programs. For learners, these short-term, paid, professional Micro-Internships help them demonstrate their skills, build relationships, and explore career pathways—complementing the in-class learning and creating pathways to professional roles. Beyond the value to learners, Micro-Internships support the recruiting efforts of thousands of employers including Fortune 100 corporations, small businesses, non-profits, and government agencies, helping them engage, assess, and build relationships with prospective full-time hires.

“We are proud of our work across traditional and alternative post-secondary education programs and are excited to help support the career outcomes for all learners through this partnership,” explained Jeffrey Moss, Parker Dewey’s Founder and CEO. “We’ve never worked with a student lender before, and we are excited to be part of Climb’s innovative efforts to help its borrowers achieve incredible career outcomes.”

Climb students can access Micro-Internships by logging into the ClimbTalent platform and applying. Employers can post internship opportunities for Climb graduates through this page.

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