Louisiana is one of the 10 states selected to participate in New Skills for Youth (NSFY), an initiative enhancing state efforts to increase the number of kids across the country who are prepared for success in both college and career. NSFY is a $75 million, five-year initiative developed by JPMorgan Chase & Co. in collaboration with the Council of Chief State School Officers, Advance CTE and Education Strategy Group.
In Phase One of the initiative, the Louisiana NSFY team built on the foundation that had already been created with Jump Start, a statewide career readiness initiative launched in 2014. To create new Jump Start opportunities for students across the state, the Louisiana NSFY team identified opportunities for collaboration among local employers, higher education and the K-12 school system.
Phase Two of the NSFY initiative began in January 2017. This snapshot profiles Louisiana’s progress in the first year of Phase Two, including:
- Building new student opportunities through Jump Start: The state NSFY team is partnering with a team of private-sector intermediaries to expand opportunities and access for all students — including students with disabilities, rural students and university-bound students — and to overcome the stigma associated with Career Technical Education (CTE) among educators and families.
- Developing the next generation of CTE leaders: Louisiana developed a blended professional development program to prepare Jump Start teachers and leaders for success in the classroom. The program, called the CTE Leadership Academy, is scheduled to enroll its first cohort of in-person leadership training in July 2018.
- Engaging industry leaders: In 2017, Louisiana expanded the process of direct regional employer engagement. This expanded process includes working with employers to set K-12 goals for Jump Start career pathway participation and credential attainment in high-demand industry sectors. Another goal is expanding “micro-industry engagement,” or technology-driven opportunities for students to engage with workplace experts in every industry sector students are interested in exploring.
- Establishing Jump Start Summers: Louisiana now offers a unique summer workplace-based learning (WBL) program in which students engage in WBL, earn academic credits, attain industry-based credentials (IBCs) that qualify them for entry-level employment and earn summer wages. Louisiana piloted the program in 2017 with approximately 250 students, and the program is on track to engage more than 2,000 students in 2018.
To learn more about this work, read Louisiana’s NSFY Phase One Snapshot.
