R.I. receives $2M for PrepareRI career readiness program

GOV. GINA M. RAIMONDO speaks with a group of Central High School students who participated in the PrepareRI initiative, which helped high school students take college courses for credit. / COURTESY OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
GOV. GINA M. RAIMONDO speaks with a group of Central High School students who participated in the PrepareRI initiative, which helped high school students take college courses for credit. / COURTESY OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

PROVIDENCE – Over the next three years, Rhode Island will receive $2 million to improve career readiness and postsecondary attainment for all Rhode Island youth through a program called “PrepareRI.”

The Ocean State is one of 10 states nationally, including Massachusetts, to receive a Phase Two New Skills for Youth grant, part of the $75 million New Skills for Youth initiative developed by JPMorgan Chase & Co. in collaboration with the nonprofit Council of Chief State School Officers and Advance CTE, a Silver Spring, Md.-based nonprofit representing state leaders responsible for secondary, postsecondary and adult career technical education.

Rhode Island received $100,000 through the program’s first phase last March for planning and implementation.

“Rhode Island’s New Skills for Youth grant is intended to turn our bold vision for improving career readiness in K-12 education into a reality,” Gov. Gina M. Raimondo said in a statement Wednesday. “We are honored to have been recognized for our vision to prepare Rhode Island students for good-paying jobs in our state’s leading industries. By creating pathways between our existing K-12, higher education and workforce development systems, we will meet the needs of our existing employers while also providing jobs that pay for Rhode Islanders.”

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According to information from the R.I. Department of Education, currently, less than 45 percent of Rhode Islanders have a post-secondary degree or industry-recognized certificate, and 70 percent of jobs in the coming years will require them. The grant’s purpose is to bridge the skills gap so all Rhode Island young people have the opportunity to attain life-sustaining jobs, the agency said.

The grant was awarded after an examination of the state’s plan to transform how it designs and develops career preparedness education programs.

PrepareRI, a three-year action plan, expands the Prepare RI Dual Enrollment Fund that allows high school students to receive both high school and college credits at no cost to them or their families.

The goal of the program is that by 2020, all Rhode Island youth will have access to work-based learning and advanced coursework opportunities in every Rhode Island high school. To that end, the state will partner with the employer community to create job shadowing opportunities, internships and apprenticeships.

PrepareRI is committed to four specific goals:

  • K-12, higher education and business alignment
  • Demand-driven programs and investments targeted towards Rhode Island’s growing industry clusters
  • Student-centered and personalized learning opportunities that help young people develop interests and talents, consider options for the future, and allow for evolving interests
  • A commitment to performance management, accountability and continuous improvement to achieve these goals

“Preparing our youth for high-quality and in-demand careers is critical to the future strength of our communities,” said Rick MacDonald, head of Commercial Banking in New England for JPMorgan Chase.

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