Rhode Island was one of the 10 states selected to participate in New Skills for Youth (NSFY). NSFY, launched by JPMorgan Chase & Co. in 2016, is a $75 million, five-year initiative, aimed at strengthening and expanding high-quality career pathways for youth. As part of this initiative, the Council of Chief State School Officers, Advance CTE and Education Strategy Group worked with states to improve their career readiness systems.
This snapshot profiles the work Rhode Island did to enhance its career readiness system across the entire NSFY initiative. Between 2016 and 2019, Rhode Island:
- Refreshed all statewide Career Technical Education (CTE) standards and aligned state funding with industry priorities: To ensure that all CTE programs are aligned with industry expectations for entry-level work, the state’s Career and Technical Education Board of Trustees created CTE standards in 57 career pathways across 13 high-priority sectors.
- Established a statewide work-based learning intermediary: One of Rhode Island’s major accomplishments was operationalizing work-based learning across the state through a statewide intermediary, Skills for Rhode Island’s Future.
- Expanded equitable access to high-quality career pathways: In 2018, RIDE launched a new program called CTE Innovation and Equity Grants to reach under-served students.
- Seeded local innovation through a network of PrepareRI ambassadors: To foster local innovation, RIDE organized a network of teachers, administrators and school leaders to serve as PrepareRI ambassadors in their communities.
To learn more about the history of the New Skills for Youth Rhode Island initiative, visit any of the following resources:
NSFY 2018 Snapshot: Rhode Island
NSFY 2017 Snapshot: Rhode Island
NSFY 2016 Snapshot: Rhode Island
To learn more about 10 New Skills for Youth states, visit the New Skills for Youth Impact Snapshots series page.
