ADE Awards $5.1 Million to Support Career Development

PHOENIX, Ariz. (May 24, 2022) – The Arizona Department of Education today announced targeted funding for career development programs. “Our students have big dreams, and they should have resources to gain the skills necessary to make them a reality,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman. “Our schools are committed to the future of our state, and these investments will help grow a sustainable pipeline for industries across our state.”

The funding will support:

• Jobs for Arizona Graduates will receive $2 million, providing intervention to prevent disconnection from school, facilitate academic improvements and bring community into the classroom to support career and college goals for Arizona students.
• Junior Achievement of Arizona will receive $2 million for its premier career-readiness program, Junior Achievement Inspire. Middle and high school students across the state have the opportunity to connect with Arizona employers of all sizes and industries, explore hundreds of careers in their community, and begin forming the framework for their future career pathways.
• Arizona Business Education Coalition will receive $1.1 million to assist students in grades 6-12 in making informed decisions regarding their education; bridge the gap between rigorous academics and relevancy to real work environments and provide an understanding of critical employability skills or credentials needed to succeed in the workforce.

“Preparing students for their future success is more important than ever. We’re proud to partner with the Arizona Department of Education to bring the JA Inspire career readiness experience to hundreds of thousands of Arizona middle and high school students, said Katherine Cecala, President of Junior Achievement of Arizona. “When we give them the knowledge and skills to succeed and help them imagine what’s possible, we unlock their future so they can step into their own potential. All of Arizona benefits from their success.”

“As a proud recipient of this grant, ABEC will continue to make great strides toward a collaborative, statewide, voluntary career education model. Our model integrates existing independent successful components into an overall strategic plan to ensure ALL students have access to quality career awareness, exploration, preparation, and placement programs,” said Dick Foreman, ABEC President & CEO.

“We are grateful for the continued financial support through the Arizona Department of Education,” said JAG President, Graciela Garcia Candia. “The significant investment helps us ensure young people can access JAG programming in their schools and communities all year.”

These projects are funded with dollars from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and are part of Arizona’s ARP School and Community Grantees. All funded projects share the goal of supporting schools, students, educators, and families as they recover from the effects of the pandemic.