History of the Communities In Schools Marketable Skills Project

Background

In 2001, Communities In Schools receiving a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to focus on supporting and enhancing one of the Communities In Schools "Five Basics" – marketable skills. The Communities In Schools network is an influential advocate for children in need. This grant from the U.S. Department of Labor has aided Communities In Schools in building and strengthening work between Communities In Schools state and local offices, and communities, students and families. During this time, the organization has forged relationships and partnerships that have aided Communities In Schools's work on the issue of marketable skills.

Who We Serve

According to data from the 2002-2003 school year:

While all Communities In Schools programs are committed to helping kids stay in school,

Communities In Schools focuses its work on the most under-served school districts and students. Students served by Communities In Schools are often performing below the standards established for their grade level. Many of these students face multiple challenges such as limited adult support, inadequate access to health care, debilitating learning environments outside the school and lack of access to the community resources they need to stay in school and learn effectively. From the self-esteem work done in elementary schools, to middle and high school career fairs, job shadowing, workplace mentors and more, Communities In Schools programs provide a range of appropriate options, resources and supports to engage students and their families in reaching for the optimum in job opportunities and career choices. This focus and work on marketable skills has provided Communities In Schools with opportunities to build capacity and knowledge in the area of marketable skills for our most needy youth and their families.

A Summary of the Project

The following narrative is a short summary of some of the work, activities and materials that have resulted from this important partnership between Communities In Schools:

 

The Communities In Schools Marketable Skills Advisory Group

Communities In Schools is invested in efforts to help young people successfully learn, stay in school and prepare for life. Twenty-eight years of championing connections to achieve those three outcomes have helped us see the importance of achieving them all. Young people learn what it will take to complete their education and find meaningful jobs that will support independent living. Our Network is always up to the task of discovering the promising practices that can be disseminated to make this vision a reality.

These resource materials represents the culminating dialogue on strategies to enhance career readiness and employability in young people. The framework for this dialogue was a series of Communities In Schools Marketable Skills Advisory Group meetings focusing on approaches that are aimed at supporting the achievement of competencies to ensure that young people are prepared for life.

The Marketable Skills Advisory Group Forum featured a discussion of how career preparation/workforce development for youth has changed over the years. It was the observation of this group that many of the stakeholders that are being asked to come to the table and assess/revise local strategies are often grounded in what the systems were like years ago and could benefit from a renewed appreciation for how changing demographics and workplace expectations are affecting this field.

Click here to view an outstanding pdf file on the history and trends in tech/prep.

 

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