Statements

Mission

Jobs for Tennessee Graduate's mission is to identify students who face barriers to graduation, guiding each one toward post-secondary education, a meaningful career, and productive adulthood. Its purpose is to improve young lives forever.

Background

Jobs for Tennessee Graduates (JTG), an affiliate of Jobs of America's Graduates (JAG), is a non-profit organization dedicated to stewarding at-risk high school students toward graduation with follow through toward post-secondary education and/or job opportunities. Associated with JAG since 1981, JTG consistently obtains a graduation rate above 90-percent with 2020's graduation rate, in the teeth of COVID-19, at 96%. JTG Specialists teach the JAG model during a student's senior year, then add a 12-month follow up to ensure success after high school. Among the skills obtained for college/workforce: * Leadership * Job Interview Skills/Resume Writing * Financial Responsibility * Dress Etiquette * Community Service In its more recent annual report, JAG national has been effective: * Dramatically increasing graduation rates to 90% or above across 1,000 classrooms in 32 states doubling the rates the poor, disadvantaged, and young people of color are able to secure jobs and tripling the rates that they secure full-time jobs. * At an investment of around $1000 per student, graduating 343 at-risk students saves society * 100 million dollars a year. Young men and women (age 18-25) who do not graduate from high school place often live off state and federal programs along with not paying taxes due to unemployment. If incarcerated, the cost is 28-thousand dollars per inmate. JTG makes students with barriers to graduation employable. Jobs for Tennessee Graduates (JTG) is one of JAG's longest serving affiliates, launched 35 years ago under Governor Lamar Alexander. It was exclusively state funded until 2013. Since 2013, diverse funding sources (school districts, private business & regional nonprofits) has allowed JTG to thrive in 18 high schools. In 2014 JTG was approved as a 501c3 nonprofit which includes a high-level board of directors.

Impact

SPECIFIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS1. JTG secured a $250,000 appropriation from the state of Tennessee. This is the first financial investment the state has made in JTG since 2013. Several prominent lawmakers including Speaker of the House Beth Harwell and Lt. Governor Randy McNally showed support of state funding. This appropriation encouraged many school districts to match funding from the state. 2. In 2017, JTG programs achieved a collective 99% graduation rate among the 600 students served. High school principals, CTE directors, guidance counselors and other faculty all recognize the return on investment of JTG. The 2017 JTG graduates earned more than $5.4 million dollars of post-secondary scholarships. 4. JTG earned the highest honor awarded to Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG), the "5-of-5 National Performance Award." This award is presented to recognize the achievement of the Class of 2016, for whom JAG completed services on May 31, 2017. After graduating in May 2016, graduates were provided with 12 months of intensive follow-up support to ensure that they transition successfully into employment, higher education, or both. JTG met the most demanding goals for graduation (90%+), employment (60%+), and 80% or higher rates of full-time employment, commitment to higher education, or a combination of both for the challenging population the program serves. These results are even more remarkable given the national unemployment rate of this demographic, which is greater than four times the unemployment rate of young people in general. (And young people, in general, have the highest unemployment rate in the nation.) Further, these 90%+ graduation rates were achieved in the face of the most demanding high school graduation and career requirements in history. 5. JTG continues with 11 full-time employees and works with LBMC staff leasing to manage payroll and healthcare benefits. In, 2016, most of these employees were Tennessee Career Center staff who were paid through the Workforce Investment ACT (WIA). When federal government regulations mandated 75% of all funding go to out-of-school youth programs, these specialists were shifted to JTG employment. GOALS FOR CURRENT YEAR1. JTG is relentless in pursuing recurring state funding. Building a sustainable private-public partnership includes state investment, school district investment along with private businesses and donors. The return on investment for each stakeholder is measurable and undeniable. A $500,000 recurring state investment would allow JTG to expand to nearly 40 high schools in more than 20 counties. 2. JTG will expect to have another tremendous year in class rooms with students who have barriers to graduation. More importantly, leading at-risk teenagers to a productive adulthood. A third of JTG students after high school head right into the full-time work force. They becomes taxpayers and contribute to society instead of taking from it. 2. Increased awareness is a huge priority for JTG. Moving forward as a 501(c) 3 non-profit it will celebrate its positive outcomes in the quest to stabilize and expand the school roster beyond 2017-18. Every high school in the state now has the option of having JTG. School administrators and officials need to be aware of JTG's recent approval as a one-credit general elective 12th grade course and the ability it has to raise graduation rates and lead to positive outcomes. JTG now has a website up and running with an easy donation function.www.jobsfortngrads.org

Needs

MOST PRESSING NEEDS 1. JTG needs to fulfill it's financial obligations for the 2020-21 school year. With Governor Bill Lee recently joining the Jobs for Tennessee Graduates (JAG) National Board, JTG was able to secure a $750,000 appropriation for the 2019-20 school year. The state was poised in investment between $1.5M and $2.26M in scaling the program to between 33 and 50 programs. With COVID-19, that proposed state appropriation was stripped from the state budget. Continuing to work with the Governor's office, it was able to assign $750,000 from the Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Grant. Schools and school districts continue to invest along with private donors, and private businesses. JTG needs to close a budget short fall to fulfill it's financial obligations.

CEO Statement

Jobs for Tennessee Graduates (JTG) is the greatest Tennessee educational success story rarely told. That ends now. JTG stewards at-risk senior toward graduation and college or career opportunities. It is the most difficult and most rewarding professional endeavor I have ever undertaken. It has expanded to 12 high schools in 16 counties with dozens more requesting the program because of its graduation rate and positive outcomes. At around $1,000 per student, the investment in JTG saves society millions of dollars. A 2012 PBS Frontline report states that every person between the age of 18-25 who does not graduate from high school costs society $292,000 for the rest of their lives. Society includes you and me. Simple math reveals that graduating 343 at-risk high school students saves society $100 million dollars. Invest $343,000 to save $100 million? That's a real return on investment.

Board Chair Statement

As a senior official at HCA, I have served on the Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) board of directors for more than two decades. During that time, I have been an ambassador of JAG's Tennessee affiliate, Jobs for Tennessee Graduates (JTG), visiting the classrooms seeing firsthand the incredible work JTG specialists accomplish with at-risk youth. HCA has financially supported JTG and its regional non-profit partners for years because it truly believes it improves young lives forever. When the Tennessee Department of Education decided to cut state funding, I, like all JAG board members, was stunned and disappointed. Instead of accepting the TDOE's decision as the end of JTG, I joined JAG officials in recruiting a high-level board to lead JTG through the transition to a 501 (c)3 non-profit. In the summer of 2014, JAG approved the hiring of longtime Nashville TV broadcaster John Dwyer to organizethis effort. Through my service to JAG and JTG, I have heard many testimonials from JTG students who credit the program as the turning point in their lives. One in particular came from Nazje Mansfield, the 2015 Stratford STEM Magnet High School valedictorian. Nazje contemplated suicide her sophomore year and continually pondered dropping out of high school. Her senior year, she enrolled in JTG and soon realized a better life was possible. While working at local fast food restaurant 30-hours a week to make ends meet living with relatives, Nazje fulfilled her goal of becoming number one in her senior class. She earned a full scholarship to Belmont University and is currently finishing up her freshman year. Her JTG specialist, along with a strong Stratford faculty kept Nazje, an at-risk student, focused leading her to a positive outcome. That's the power of JTG. That's why I continue to serve in an official capacity with JAG and JTG. John SteeleExec. VP of HR, HCAJTG Board ChairmanJAG Board Member

Service Categories
Primary Category:	Education  - Secondary & High Schools
Secondary Category:	Employment  - Employment Preparation & Procurement
Tertiary Category:	Youth Development  - Youth Development Programs

Areas Served

The Jobs for Tennessee Graduates program is in 12 Tennessee high schools in 146counties; Anderson, Bradley, Carroll, Davidson, Dickson, Giles, Hamilton, Hardin, Hickman, Houston, Maury, Morgan, Perry, Scott, Wayne and Williamson. In 2020, JTG students achieved, the teeth of COVID, a 96% graduation rate, earning more than 6M dollars in post-secondary opportunities.

TN - Davidson

TN - Dickson

TN - Giles

TN - Hickman

TN - Houston

TN - Maury

TN - Perry

TN - Wayne

TN - Williamson

TN

TN