GE Foundation and CFES Report Identify College & Career Readiness Steps for Low-Income Students

GE Foundation’s Executive Director of Skills and Education speaks to summit attendees about the need to get students ready for 21st century careers. (Credit: CFES)

Today, the GE Foundation released a solutions-driven white paper, titled “New Dimensions of College and Career Readiness,” that outlines strategic steps needed to help low-income students succeed in a world of exponential change.

“It’s critical that we adopt new approaches to preparing students for the workforce,” stated Rick Dalton, President & CEO of College For Every Student, host of the summit. “By analyzing challenges and observing best practices, we can develop new and innovative solutions that will position our young people for career success.”

The white paper is the result of a two-day global summit co-sponsored by College For Every Student, the GE Foundation and Trinity College Dublin that gathered 50 education, corporate, and philanthropic leaders in Essex, NY.

GE Foundation’s Executive Director of Education and Skills Kelli Wells said during her opening remarks, “To prepare students to be competitive in a global economy, we have to do a better job of linking the educational pipeline to the jobs of the future. Yet many of these 21st century jobs don’t exist today.”

Part of the solution, according to Information Technology Industry Council President and CEO Dean Garfield is to “redouble efforts to create multiple points of entry for students to not only attend college but to pursue training in promising fields like STEM.”

Implementing Strategies to Improve Career Opportunities

The white paper offers five strategies targeted at low-income students to improve career opportunities: foster mentorship programs; develop the “Essential Skills” such as raised aspirations, teamwork, grit, perseverance, and adaptability; place an increased focus on technical science skills; build STEM readiness; provide out-of-the classroom experiences such as internships, apprenticeships and jobs.

Keynoter Robert Schwartz of Harvard University, who has led national studies on America’s future prosperity, urges businesses to provide internships, job shadowing, and actual work opportunities for high school students.

“Companies need to play a critical role in helping students become career ready and the benefits of building a talent pipeline is obvious,” Schwartz stated.

You can read the white paper on www.collegefes.org.

GE-Published Report Identifies Steps to Close Skills Gap for Low-Income Students (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Closing the Skills Gap: Helping Young People Become Exceptional (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
CFES Global Summit in Essex Featured in Huffington Post (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Dalton & Hannon to Speak at GE Foundation Virtual Conference | Essex on Lake Champlain (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Getting Students Ready for 21st Century Careers (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
“You are not tomorrow’s leaders…you are today’s leaders.” (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)

About CFES Brilliant Pathways

CFES Brilliant Pathways is a global leader in helping K-12 underserved students from rural and urban communities become college and career ready, giving students an opportunity to forge their own route to a bright future. For 29 years, CFES has worked closely with schools, colleges and businesses in urban and rural areas to help students become college and career ready through mentoring and by equipping them with the EssentialSkills that include perseverance, agility, goal setting, networking, teamwork and leadership (www.brilliantpathways.org)