Schools See Apprenticeship Programs As Expanding Options for College Prep
In The News Piece in 94.9 WSJM
Nov. 28, 2022
Our grantee Careerwise Kalamazoo and the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship were featured in a story from 94.9 WSJM about the expansion and benefits of apprenticeships in the U.S.
With the cost of a four-year college education approaching six figures at some institutions, many students are looking at apprenticeships to train for a career.
A program in the Kalamazoo Public Schools is aimed at putting students on an alternative track toward well-paying jobs which do not require traditional degrees. The program, Career Launch Kalamazoo, is part of a national trend aimed at putting apprenticeships on a parallel track with the college prep curriculum.
Rita Raichoudhuri, superintendent of Kalamazoo Public Schools, said the district found it needed to rethink what it means to be a successful graduate.
“Not a lot of opportunities or access pointed existed for those students for whom college right after graduation from high school may not be the right fit, or even advisable,” Raichoudhuri recounted. “Opportunities for them did not exist.”
Raichoudhuri came to Kalamazoo from the Chicago Public School District, where she said she also developed programs to help kids succeed in competitive labor markets. She implemented Career Launch soon after arriving in 2020, for opportunities in information technology, manufacturing and other skilled trades.
The program, part of the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship, is open to high school juniors and seniors, giving them the chance to earn while they learn through paid, on-the-job training with an industry mentor.
Read the full article here