Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot,
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) announced today
that Career Launch Chicago, a new collaborative initiative between CPS, CCC,
the City of Chicago, and business, has secured its first round of partners
committed to creating youth apprenticeship opportunities for young Chicagoans.
Career Launch Chicago is focused on creating work-based-learning opportunities
for CPS students that will connect them to college pathways and careers in the
areas of information technology, manufacturing and healthcare.
“Career Launch Chicago will bring
together CPS, CCC and some of our city’s leading businesses and institutions to
build a more equitable and dynamic economy by creating apprenticeships, which
will allow our young people to take college courses in high school, continue to
earn a record-level of college credentials, and get paid to build experience in
a field their passionate about,” said Mayor Lightfoot. “To prepare our students
for the jobs of today and tomorrow, I challenge businesses in every industry to
participate in programs like this one and build an unparalleled talent pipeline.”
Starting in 2020, Career Launch
Chicago will recruit students for a pilot cohort of 50 apprentices, with a goal
of growing the initiative to 1,000 apprentices by 2024. Career Launch Chicago
has several partners already committed to building the model, including the
following high schools, colleges and industry leaders:
- Austin College and Career Academy
- Bowen High School
- Charles Allen Prosser Career Academy
- Chicago Vocational Career Academy
- Englewood STEM High School
- Eric Solorio Academy High School
- Gage Park High School
- George Westinghouse College Prep
- Lake View High School
- Michele Clark Academic Prep Magnet High
School
- North-Grand High School
- Richard T Crane Medical Preparatory High
School
- Roger C Sullivan High School
- Theodore Roosevelt High School
- Richard J. Daley College
- Malcolm X College
- Wilbur Wright College
- Harold Washington College
- Chicago Apprentice Network
- Fifth Third Bank
- CISCO
- MxD
- Rush University Medical Center
- Lurie Children’s Hospital
- Sinai Health System
“Career Launch Chicago is a natural extension of Fifth Third
Bank’s commitment to build financial stability in the communities we
serve. While formal education is vitally important for young people to
successfully participate in the 21st century economy, experiential
learning like what Career Launch Chicago is providing is so important. We
appreciate that the high quality, work-based learning opportunities the young
people will experience through this program will help prepare them for the jobs
of today and of tomorrow,” said Nicole Johnson-Scales, Senior Vice President,
Community and Economic Development, Fifth Third Bank.
Unique to this apprenticeship model will be the engagement of
employers who commit to creating paid on-the-job training opportunities for
apprentices in order to help meet their talent needs. Employers interested in
joining Career Launch Chicago can contact info@CareerLaunchChicago.com.
“Career Launch Chicago is an exemplary model of how career and
technical education can benefit students, teachers, employers, and our overall
economy,” said Congressman Krishnamoorthi. “Last year, my legislation, The
Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, was
signed into law to reform our entire CTE system. Specifically, the law
encourages the creation of more partnerships between employers, schools,
and workforce experts to better prepare students for high-paying, in-demand
jobs. Career Launch Chicago is one of the first new and robust programs to be
implemented and I want to applaud Mayor Lightfoot, Chicago Public Schools, the
City Colleges of Chicago, and the many education and industry leaders who are
participating in this groundbreaking partnership.”
High-quality apprenticeships provide students with advanced
learning; paid, relevant work opportunities and mentors that can accelerate
their chosen path without having to choose between college and career.
Apprentices through Career Launch Chicago will engage in classroom learning,
paid on-the-job training, mentorship, and the opportunity to transfer to
full-time employment upon successful completion of the program. Career Launch
Chicago apprentices will earn college credits through City Colleges of Chicago
while still in high school.
“Career Launch Chicago students will gain the exposure and
connections to break into high demand career fields they might otherwise have
overlooked, and ultimately help ensure a more inclusive Chicago economy,” said
City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor Juan Salgado.
Mayor Lightfoot’s administration is committed to strengthening
career and technical education (CTE) programming for Chicago’s youth. Earlier
this summer, to support more high school students in achieving college and
career success, Mayor Lightfoot and Dr. Jackson announced that, by 2023, all
CTE students in CPS will receive some form of career exposure experience by the
time they graduate, such as a job shadow, mock interview, or career site visit.
CPS will also expand employer partnerships to ensure half of all eligible CTE
students are matched with a career development experience, like an internship
or apprenticeship, by 2023.
“Expanding access to meaningful apprenticeships and
career-readiness support will help prepare more high school students from
across the city for the jobs of tomorrow,” said CPS Chief Education Officer
LaTanya D. McDade. “Continuing to create opportunities for our students with
industry leaders across Chicago through the Career Launch Chicago initiative
exemplifies the district’s vision of ensuring every student is prepared to
succeed after they graduate.”
Career Launch Chicago is a member of, and receives financial
support from, the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship (PAYA)
Network – a learning community designed to link dynamic partnerships that work
to launch, expand and improve apprenticeship opportunities for high school-aged
youth. Career Launch Chicago receives additional financial and technical
support from Apprenticeship2020, a Chicago-based collaborative of
philanthropies set up to help grow apprenticeships in nontraditional fields.