New employability program prepares Eastern students for emergency services careers

New employability program prepares Eastern students for emergency services careers

Career Pathways program launches with ESPS co-op

by Noel Teter

Willimantic, CT (09/16/2025) - A new employability initiative at Eastern Connecticut State University will offer immersive learning experiences for students interested in a variety of career fields. Starting with a co-op program in emergency services and public safety (ESPS), Eastern launched its Career Pathways Program in the fall 2025 semester.

Geared primarily for criminology and sociology majors, students accepted into the four-year ESPS co-op begin related coursework in their first semester at Eastern. The first three years of the co-op program include short and long-term experiential projects. In year four, students take a two-semester internship with a related agency, providing them a more intensive experience than a traditional, one-semester internship.

Among the participating organizations are several Connecticut state departments, including the Connecticut State Police, State Fire Administration, Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, Forensic Science Laboratory, and Environmental Conservation Police. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is also participating, among other agencies, and more to come.

Program director and sociology/criminology Professor William Lugo previously served as employability liaison for Eastern's Department of Sociology, Anthropology, Criminology, and Social Work. During this time, he discovered the department's need to better prepare students for their future careers.

Specifically, Lugo realized the need to provide experiential learning opportunities earlier in students' undergraduate careers, rather than just in their junior and senior years. "We needed a formal process to start thinking about employability on day one," he said.

Lugo recalls a previous conversation with a Connecticut police chief, who explained that one of his new recruits decided to quit after a few weeks in the police academy.

"The recent graduate decided it wasn't what he wanted to do," said Lugo. "We need to get students thinking about that on day one, so by the time they're a junior or senior, they're like, 'this is the direction I really want to go in.'"

Conversely, Lugo added, "They might say, 'that (career path) is not what I want,' which is great. (This) lets us get them into a different pathway sooner than later."

The co-op program will further acquaint students with their prospective fields by bringing employers to campus during their first year and taking students to job sites in following years.

As part of the first-year course, employers will give informative presentations on "what day-to-day work looks like in their department, what sorts of skills/prerequisites are needed to be hired, as well as what may be disqualifying for employment," said ESPS Co-op Program Coordinator John Fournier.

"During each of these presentations, students will have the opportunity to ask questions of the presenter and discuss the work more in-depth."

When visiting job sites during their sophomore year, "students may visit police and fire departments, emergency dispatcher centers, homeland security facilities, emergency management offices, and forensics labs," said Fournier.

Fournier continued: "The site visits will shed light on how the work is done in small towns, big cities, and at the state and federal level. Students will have the opportunity to tour facilities with staff, see the work being done firsthand, and discuss all aspects of the field from how to secure a job to what skills are most critical for success."

Fournier believes these collaborations between Eastern students and prospective employers are mutually beneficial. "The opportunity for repeated, sustained interaction between students and employers is the most valuable aspect of the program for all involved," he said.

"Whether it is through presentations, site visits, internships, or otherwise, students will have an unfiltered opportunity to understand what emergency service work looks like," said Fournier. "Our employer partners get to start meeting our students, building an understanding of the next generation of the workforce and identifying strong candidates for future positions."

Much of students' coursework during their junior year will prepare them for their senior internship. Lugo views the year-long internship not only as a capstone for students, but as a crucial tool as they enter the workforce. "They'll be able to get much better and deeper projects and better professional networking opportunities," he said.

Membership in Eastern's ESPS Club is also a required part of the ESPS program. The club offers additional experiential learning and professional networking opportunities, including additional presentations from emergency services professionals.

Several hands-on projects are being coordinated through the club. "For example, we have discussed the potential of having the Office of Career Services provide mock interview workshops and resume building workshops," said Fournier.

• For more information, visit Eastern's Career Pathways website: https://www.easternct.edu/career-pathways/index.html

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