Will provide Hartford teens with paid work experience in growing career paths

Hartford, Conn. (July 17, 2013) – Jr. Apprentice, a career-readiness and workforce development program, just launched as a new program of the Hartford Consortium for Higher Education.

Jr. Apprentice connects Hartford teens with paid apprenticeship opportunities so they can “try out" different careers, gain workplace skills and receive career mentorship.

“Teen employment is at an all-time low, especially for low-income teens”, says Dr. Lauren Silverstein, founder and director of Jr. Apprentice. “This means that teens have few opportunities to gain exposure to the workplace, to gain technical skills, to develop career aspirations, to meet career mentors, and to understand the connection between school and work.”

Jr. Apprentice hopes to be part of the solution by providing employment opportunities during the academic year to Hartford teens in career paths with projected job growth. In this way, the focus is on a career, not a job.

“The Hartford Consortium is committed to increasing post-secondary opportunities for Hartford area youth. Jr. Apprentice is directly aligned with that mission and will build a pipeline for our college access program, Career Beginnings," says Dr. Martin Estey, Executive Director of the Hartford Consortium for Higher Education.

Jr. Apprentice is piloting at Bulkeley High School, a traditional high school in Hartford’s South End neighborhood.

“We are so excited that Jr. Apprentice is at Bulkeley High School. This partnership will afford our juniors an outstanding opportunity to explore a wide variety of career options while developing the career competencies that we know are critical to their post-graduate success”, says Justin Taylor, an 11th and 12th grade social studies teacher at Bulkeley High School and member of the Jr. Apprentice advisory board.

As a Jr. Apprentice, students in their Junior year at Bulkeley will engage in a 3-6 hour/week apprenticeship with a local employer. Jr. Apprentice pays the teens per hour of work, providing much-needed employment for Hartford teens at no financial burden to the Employer-Mentors. Jr. Apprentices will gain job skills, build their networks and discover possible “career fits." Local, working adults serve as Employer-Mentors. In this role, the current workforce is developing, training and mentoring the future workforce. Several local employers have already applied for this opportunity.

“We are so lucky to have had so much traction so far. Leadership at both Bulkeley High School and in the local business community has demonstrated tremendous commitment and investment to Jr. Apprentice and mentoring of our future workforce. It’s a wonderful partnership between the public school and private industry communities," says Silverstein.

Jr. Apprentice also includes a career-readiness class that prepares teens to enter and succeed in the workplace. Curriculum topics include interviewing, decision-making, time management, workplace etiquette, career self-assessments and financial literacy. Bulkeley High School is so committed to Jr. Apprentice that this class will be offered during the school day.

“Jr. Apprentice aligns nicely with our efforts to provide all of our students with authentic learning experiences that allow them to discover their strengths and passions. It also materializes for our students the connection between academic success and career choice, reinforcing how today's experiences will be critical to the employment opportunities available to them tomorrow,” says Taylor.

Jr. Apprentice is currently accepting applications for Employer-Mentors as well as from individuals and organizations interested in sponsoring a Bulkeley High School teen to become a Jr. Apprentice.

To learn more and to get involved, visit: www.JrApprentice.org.

About the Hartford Consortium for Higher Education

The Hartford Consortium for Higher Education (HCHE) was founded in 1972 to foster collaboration among the local institutions of higher education. The flagship program, Career Beginnings, originating in 1986, is the largest of the Consortium’s various education initiatives. Career Beginnings aims to increase the percentage of Hartford students who go to college directly after high school. In 2013, 96% of the Program’s 260 graduates enrolled in college. HCHE also promotes college success among low-income students. A three-year grant from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving expands support services through the first year of college for all Career Beginnings graduates. Other Consortium activities include regional roundtables, cross-registration among all schools, co-chairing a work group to assess college readiness programs, serving as the administrative agent for the Travelers EDGE scholarship program, and housing the Center for Higher Education Retention & Excellence.

Media Contact: Lauren Silverstein / 860.840.7292 / lauren@jrapprentice.org