It wasn’t the desire for a better job that led Raymond Thompson to come to the Workforce Education and Lifelong Learning (WELL) program to get his General Educational Development degree, or GED.

Thompson, who has worked in construction for the last 16 years, earns a good living, he said. He took up construction after dropping out of high school in his sophomore year.

But even though he’s licensed to work with hazardous materials in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, he believes that with a high school diploma and a college degree, the sky’s the limit, Thompson said.

“I’ve been working in environmental

engineering for 16 years,” he said. “But I like research. I’m a research junkie. I want to get my associate’s degree and then my bachelor’s degree.”

Thompson was one of 16 people who graduated with a GED from the WELL program this summer.

Such stories are the hallmark of the WELL program, a program that connects people in need of a GED with the classes they need to get one. The program has partnered with the university’s Pan African Studies Education Program (PASCEP) and the College of Education to provide these classes, said Ulicia Lawrence, coordinator for the program.

But students in the program walk out with more than just a GED, Lawrence said. They walk out with the skills necessary to negotiate life, such as self management and negotiating skills, a new job, or even more education, she said.

“They walk out with lifelong learning skills,” Lawrence said. “They learn self-management, negotiation skills and communications. They also learn interview skills, resume writing and job development.”

There are currently more than 350 students in the program and they must pass four of the five required tests in order to graduate with GEDs, Lawrence said.

For more information on the Workforce Education and Lifelong Learning program, contact Lawrence at 215-204-8234.