Iowa – Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates (iJAG) is thrilled to announce the launch of a recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor, Quality Pre-Apprenticeship program. This is the first statewide quality pre-apprenticeship program. iJAG is a premier non-profit organization connecting business and education to provide the most cost-effective dropout prevention and school to career solutions in Iowa. iJAG currently serves more than 2,200 middle and high school students who are struggling with multiple barriers in their lives and are not achieving academic success in school. The program works with students holistically to build awareness of past and/or current trauma in their lives and builds resiliency and leadership skills that ultimately lead to achievement of their very first credential – their high school diploma. Relying on realworld, project-based instructional methods and an unconventional approach to personal connections with students, the iJAG Education Specialists work to ensure that a customized career pathway is developed for each student. iJAG President and CEO, Laurie Phelan said “A critical part of our work is to provide students with high quality work-based learning opportunities. Through creative experiences and training our students will benefit greatly. Pre-apprenticeship is truly setting our students up for success in the workforce”.
iJAG has an incredible history of success with 95% of students graduating from high school and 90% of graduates attending college or working within 12 months of graduation.
The first employer to partner with iJAG in the pre-apprenticeship program was Carlisle, Iowa based Murphy Tower Service. Pat Murphy, Owner of Murphy Tower Service stated “We’re very excited about our partnership with iJAG’s Pre-Apprenticeship Program. This partnership will allow qualified high school graduates from iJAG the opportunity to join our Telecommunications Tower Technician (TTT) Registered Apprenticeship Program and embark on a fulfilling career in the wireless communications industry, helping build critical infrastructure within America to bring 5G technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) to our homes, phones and devices.” Murphy Tower Service is a growing company with projects covering the entire state.
For more information about iJAG please visit, www.ijag.org.
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