A New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Foundation program that helps high school students graduate and develop college and workplace skills was honored yesterday at an event in Las Vegas. The program, ‘Jobs for America’s Graduates New Jersey’ (JAG NJ), received national honors for its effective work assisting high school students – once considered at-risk for dropping out of school – graduate and go on to succeed in full-time jobs, the military or post-secondary education.
Jobs for America’s Graduates New Jersey, a state affiliate of the Jobs for America’s Graduates initiative, focuses on helping students overcome challenges, graduate high school and meet their full potential in life. Its intensive classroom support, training, and off-site experiences enhance the students’ career-ready skills as well as personal and leadership development.
JAG NJ programs in Central High School (Newark), Carteret High School, New Brunswick Adult Learning Center C.A.R.E.S. program, Pinelands Regional High School (Little Egg Harbor), Vineland High School, and Weequahic High School (Newark) collectively received a ‘5 of 5 Award’ for meeting or exceeding performance measures in graduation rate, successful outcomes, employment, post-secondary enrollment, and job placement for their 2021 graduates.
The Award
It is the first time in its 11-year history that JAG NJ has received the ‘5 of 5 Award’ for all of its programs, which is the highest honor bestowed by the national organization – Jobs for America’s Graduates.
The awards were presented at the Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) National Training Seminar in Las Vegas on July 11.
“New Jersey has about 100,000 seniors in high school every year, and 91,000 of them graduate,” said Donna Custard, president of the N.J. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. “It is the 9,000 kids that do not graduate that JAG NJ is for. We help them cross the finish line with a high school diploma and we prepare them to succeed in life.”
“Jobs for America’s Graduates is a program that has transformed the lives of youth for over 40 years. For over a decade in New Jersey, JAG has provided 2,650 young leaders the instruction, support, training, and coaching necessary for them to be successful after graduation,”, said Sandra Strothers, executive director of Jobs for America’s Graduates New Jersey. “I am proud of their accomplishments and thankful to our exemplary team of JAG Specialists, employer partners, funders, advisory board and volunteers whose commitment and expertise have impacted the futures of well-deserving young adults. These awards are a reflection of the students’ talents and skills and the team’s dedication to supporting our youth to meet their life goals.”
Corporate Support
The program is supported through public and private funding sources. Several companies invest in JAG NJ through volunteerism and donations. Representatives from corporate partners participate throughout the year as guest speakers, conference judges, trainers, members of the advisory board, and facilitators at job-readiness activities. Top funders include:
- Deloitte Foundation
- Victoria Foundation
- PSEG Foundation
- Wells Fargo Foundation
- Santander Bank N.A.
- AT&T Foundation
- Investors Foundation, Inc.
- The M&T Charitable Foundation
- NJM Insurance Group
- Sterling National Bank Charitable Foundation
JAG NJ is funded primarily through donations by private and corporate partners. For a complete list of sponsors, visit: https://njchamberfoundation.org/sponsors
The New Jersey program was implemented with eleven cohorts in nine schools in Carteret, Newark, Little Egg Harbor, New Brunswick, Passaic, and Vineland in the past school year. Nearly 400 students participated.
How the Program Works
In the JAG NJ program, students chosen by teachers and guidance counselors study leadership and employment skills, and receive academic support, access to inspiring guest speakers, tours of local businesses, and mentoring as they consider pursuing college or a career. Students take the program as an elective course and have the opportunity to attend statewide and national conferences where they befriend and compete with program participants from all over the nation. Graduates of the program continue to receive support for 12 months after high school graduation to help them as they transition into college or a career.
Over the past nine graduating classes, JAG NJ students have out-graduated their non-JAG peers by as much as 53% in all but three cases. JAG NJ students typically graduate at a rate of 93% to 100%, compared to their same-school peers who graduate at a range of 36% to 93%. For the class of 2021, JAG NJ seniors out-graduated their non-JAG peers by 7% to 35% in participating schools.
Information about Jobs for America’s Graduates and Jobs for America’s Graduates New Jersey can be found by clicking here: https://www.jagnj.org/