# Rider University Receives Grant for Vocational College Education as Career Planning Expands Beyond Job Placement

- Link: https://www.thailand-business-news.com/pr-news/rider-university-receives-grant-for-vocational-college-education-as-career-planning-expands-beyond-job-placement
- Published: 2026-09-16T00:54:00+07:00
- Author: MarketersMEDIA Newswire

_Rider University is expanding vocational exploration through a new grant-funded
initiative featuring student workshops, faculty and staff development, and a planned
Certificate in Vocation and Self-Understanding, helping students connect academic
interests with purpose, career direction, and meaningful professional paths._

Lawrenceville, New Jersey, United States, September 15, 2026 — College students 
face decisions that extend beyond choosing a major or first job. Many are also considering
what kind of work fits their interests and values. [Rider University](https://www.rider.edu/)
is addressing that question through a new vocational exploration initiative.

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/mmstudio-images/gallery/uFfwwPMFt3WoxzSQRJZDChp5pod2/
1789490244691-0.jpg)

Rider recently received a 2026 Professional Development Award from the Council of
Independent Colleges. The award comes through its Network for Vocation in Undergraduate
Education, known as NetVUE. Rider is one of 46 institutions selected for the award
this year.

The grant will support a new campus initiative focused on vocation and self-understanding.
Rider plans six workshops designed specifically for students. Four additional workshops
will prepare faculty and staff to support vocational exploration across the university.

The workshops will also create a common framework for discussing vocation on campus.
Students can approach those conversations from different majors. Faculty and staff
gain tools for supporting the process.

The work will culminate in a new Certificate in Vocation and Self-Understanding.
The certificate is designed to prepare participants to help other people explore
their calling. Rider describes vocation as a concept that reaches beyond simply 
finding employment.

That approach gives the initiative a different role within college education. Traditional
career preparation often centers on résumés, interviews, internships, and job searches.
Vocational exploration asks students to examine why particular work may be meaningful
to them.

Darryl Mace, Rider’s vice president of community engagement and belonging, connected
calling with purpose and resilience. He said the program should help community members
find careers they are passionate about. The workshops create a structured setting
for that process.

Rider’s project also extends the work beyond students. Faculty and staff workshops
will build their knowledge and capacity around vocational exploration.

Participants can then apply those concepts when supporting students as they consider
academic and professional decisions.

The initiative arrives within a national network devoted to this area of higher 
education. NetVUE includes nearly 350 colleges and universities.

The network supports vocational exploration and discernment among undergraduate 
students. It is a program of the Council of Independent Colleges.

For a student, vocational exploration can add another layer to career planning. 
Someone may know which subjects they enjoy but remain unsure about their professional
direction.

Guided reflection can help connect academic interests with values, strengths, and
possible forms of work.

The project complements Rider’s broad academic structure. The university offers 
programs across business, humanities, sciences, education, technology, media, and
the arts. Its 2026-27 catalog includes undergraduate majors, minors, certificates,
and concentrations across its colleges and schools.

Rider’s new initiative focuses on helping people examine the purpose behind those
academic choices. The planned certificate also creates a pathway for participants
to guide others through similar questions. Together, the workshops and credential
bring vocational exploration into a defined educational program.

About the company: Rider University is a private university based in Lawrenceville,
New Jersey. It offers undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs
across numerous academic disciplines. The university provides more than 100 majors,
minors, certificates, and degree programs.

Contact Info: 
Name: Chris SullivanEmail: [Send Email](https://send.releasecontact.com/89203414)
Organization: Rider EduWebsite: [https://www.rider.edu/](https://www.rider.edu/)

Release ID: 89203414

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**Source** : [Rider University Receives Grant for Vocational College Education as Career Planning Expands Beyond Job Placement](https://news.marketersmedia.com/rider-university-receives-grant-for-vocational-college-education-as-career-planning-expands-beyond-job-placement/89203414?rand=206000)

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