Scaling Work-Based Learning in the Curriculum: How Riipen Powers Real Employer Projects at Scale

Higher education is facing renewed scrutiny over how well it prepares students for life after graduation. Employers are increasingly signaling that many graduates enter the workforce without real-world, job-ready experience—placing new pressure on higher education to rethink how learning connects to work. Research on high-impact practices consistently shows that experiential and work-based learning boosts student engagement, persistence, and employability, yet these experiences remain difficult to scale beyond isolated internships or capstones. At the same time, performance-based funding models and enrollment pressures are raising the stakes, forcing institutions to demonstrate the return on investment of a degree through measurable workforce outcomes.

So how can colleges and universities move experiential learning from the margins to the core of the curriculum—without overburdening faculty or relying on a limited pool of internships?

That question is at the heart of this episode of signals in higher ed, hosted by Darin Francis, and featuring Dana Stephenson, Co-Founder and CEO of Riipen. Together, they explore how work-based learning can be embedded at scale across institutions, how real employer projects create value for students and businesses alike, and why infrastructure—not just intent—is the missing link in experiential education.

What you’ll learn…

• How Riipen evolved from a faculty-driven pilot model into a scalable, institution-wide platform for work-based learning.
• Why project-based, employer-engaged learning lowers barriers for students who can’t access traditional internships.
• How data, tracking, and marketplace infrastructure help senior leaders align experiential learning with strategy, funding, and workforce outcomes.

Dana Stephenson is the Co-Founder and CEO of Riipen, an experiential learning marketplace where he leads efforts to bridge the gap between education and meaningful careers through real, employer-driven projects at scale. With more than a decade of experience building partnerships across higher education, industry, and government, he has helped institutions and employers access pre-vetted emerging talent while improving workforce readiness and employability outcomes. His background spans experiential learning innovation, go-to-market strategy, sales leadership, and organizational development, grounding Riipen’s growth in both education and industry needs.

Article written by MarketScale.