PARKERSBURG, W.Va. -- DuPont and West Virginia University at Parkersburg have signed a deal to help students gain on-the-job experience.

The agreement is the first partnership of its kind under a "Learn and Earn'' program sponsored by Community and Technical College Education System of West Virginia.

DuPont plant manager Karl Boelter says graduates will enter the market with real-world knowledge and the experience they need to be good chemical engineers.

WVU-P President Marie Foster Gnage says it's an unprecedented opportunity.

Under the one-year program, students alternate classroom learning with shift rotations at DuPont in three-month increments. They will be paid by the hour, and the state will reimburse DuPont for half their wages.

Students in the first group start Feb. 27. The next session begins in May.