WATERVILLE, MAINE, October 28, 2020 — Thomas College and WEX, a leading financial technology service provider headquartered in Maine, are pleased to announce a unique partnership to build early career readiness pathways for Thomas College students into the Financial Technology (Fintech) sector, to provide professional development and education opportunities for WEX employees, and strengthen both technology and innovation capacity in the Maine economy.
WEX and Thomas College are committed to identifying workforce needs and career development opportunities. The partnership offers early career readiness initiatives for Thomas College students and professional development course accessibility for WEX employees, as well as strategic on- and off-campus events and technology innovation opportunities.
“This really speaks to the heart of what we do at Thomas College,” said President Laurie G. Lachance. “We prepare Thomas College students for success in professional careers here in Maine. We do this through partnerships like the one we have with WEX that provide students with unprecedented access to the state’s leading businesses. This builds their knowledge and sets them on a pathway for an excellent career here in our home state and beyond.”
“WEX is proud to partner with Thomas College and sees great value in the experiences and education that students receive. Partnerships like the one we have with Thomas College will ensure that WEX and Maine continue to develop a strong talent pipeline skilled in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) for years to come,” said WEX’s Chief Technology Officer David Cooper.
The partnership has already yielded some early successes. Last fall, Thomas College and WEX hosted Converge and Create weekend, a multi-day entrepreneurial event in Central Maine, as well as a Plugged In event in March focused on cybersecurity. Both events reached several hundred business leaders, community leaders, educators, and students statewide.
WEX associates are also working directly with Thomas College faculty to provide students with real-time case studies to use in their classes. Students are working directly with the WEX talent recruitment team to identify internship and employment opportunities at one of the nation’s leading financial technology service providers.
Plans are already underway to expand the partnership into Thomas College’s online graduate programs, providing discounted access for WEX employees into the MS in Cybersecurity program and Thomas College’s MBA program and the MBA concentrations in Project Management and Human Resource Management. The partnership is also looking to expand its cybersecurity education into Maine high schools.
For more information, visit thomasedu.wpenginepowered.com/gps or contact Kristin Bishop at [email protected] or 207-859-1255.
About WEX: Powered by the belief that complex payment systems can be made simple, WEX (NYSE: WEX) is a leading financial technology service provider across a wide spectrum of sectors, including fleet, travel and healthcare. WEX operates in more than 10 countries and in 20 currencies through approximately 5,000 associates around the world. WEX fleet cards offer 15 million vehicles exceptional payment security and control; purchase volume in its travel and corporate solutions grew to approximately $40 billion in 2019; and the WEX Health financial technology platform helps 390,000 employers and more than 32 million consumers better manage healthcare expenses. For more information, visit www.wexinc.com.