Well-Prepared High School Students. High-Quality Work Product. Building Talent Pipelines in High-Demand Industries.

The overarching objectives of the Program include:

• increasing student exposure to and interest in STEM/allied health careers
• increasing student exposure to work-based learning experiences through job shadowing, internships, and/or pre-apprenticeships
• increasing the number of students who enroll in post-secondary institutions and pursue majors and careers focused on STEM and allied health.

This project will ensure internship experiences for up to 350 students over three years beginning in academic year 2020-21. Currently over 35 major Hartford area employers participate in the program with the number rapidly increasing as word of the well-prepared students producing high quality work product becomes known. This project will help prepare students for post-secondary career and/or college success by developing students’ communication skills, leadership potential, problem-solving ability, interpersonal and teamwork skills, and overall professionalism. Some students will have a deep immersion into these areas by volunteering to participate in the Youth Employability Skills (YES) Academy, a week-long session of workshops provided by leaders in business and industry.