The start of a partnership between SCTCC and the Boys and Girls Club of Central Minnesota will be the start of a pathway from grade school to careers for youth in the St. Cloud region.
On Sept. 9, the partnership was announced at the Eastside Boys and Girls Club, where members from SCTCC, the Boys and Girls Club, and area supporters gathered to launch CareerSTART, the Boys and Girls Club program, and CareerACHIEVE, the SCTCC program to help students prepare for and enter a career.
“If we’re not preparing the next generation of workforce in this country, we’re not going to have a future that we all so richly want,” said Jim Clark, Boys & Girls Clubs of America President and CEO, at the launch. “One of the core tenets of our agenda is job readiness and workforce development.”
Young people will be able to explore different career paths while at the Boys and Girls Club and develop skills and core competencies so that they have a solid outlook on their futures and careers of their choice.
Once they have graduated from high school, the students who have taken part in CareerSTART will be able to continue on with CareerACHIEVE at SCTCC. The CareerACHIEVE program will provide specific support and aid so students will successfully graduate and enter a career or transfer for a bachelor’s degree.
“Removing barriers and creating pathways that ensure all students are provided with access to the resources and opportunities necessary to improve their quality of life – this is the work that SCTCC must also take on,” said SCTCC President Annesa Cheek. “A partnership with the BG Club is an important and natural next step for us.”
Students who complete CareerSTART criteria and plan to enter CareerACHIEVE are eligible for scholarships and stipends made possible by the Windfeldt family, called CareerPROMISE. The scholarship is available as last dollar funds after financial aid has been applied.
“We are so energized by this opportunity to participate in this partnership with Boys and Girls Club,” said SCTCC President Annesa Cheek. “It’s an opportunity for us to design student-centered systems and support structures with the goal of expanding the model and using it for all SCTCC students.”