School to Work Initiative Moving Forward
March 17, 2022
A School to Work provision is in the Governor’s broad workforce initiative legislation. It has proved very helpful in exposing high school students to jobs at ABI member companies, particularly in manufacturing. The program extends high school credits to students that participate in the off-campus programming at ABI member facilities.
The success of the program and a barrier to statewide use is the capacity of school personnel and the willingness of local school districts to participate. The Governor’s proposal breaks down these barriers. The legislation would allow for the certification of a non-school individual to lead the program after pledging to complete a rudimentary training program, thus removing the program from the heavy workload of local school staff. The legislation would also have local school districts report periodically whether they are participating in such programs, letting ABI member employers know if there is an untapped opportunity to expose high schoolers to post-graduation job opportunities in their local communities.
- ABI Position: For
- Status: Alive