Jobs for Maine's Graduates

JMG is designed to help students prepare for the world of work which they will be entering either upon graduation from high school or perhaps after receiving a college degree. Classes are small and topics are designed to encourage discussion. Students work on concepts like personal skills, interests, values, career goal setting and career path planning. They also practice techniques like interviewing and resume writing.

Jobs for Maine's Graduates was introduced into Maine in 1988 and continues to effect positive changes in the lives of thousands of Maine high school students by providing a year-round school-to-work transition program. On June 15, 1993 J.M.G. became a private non-profit corporation supporting by the public and private sector contributions. There are presently 36 JMG sites running in 30 schools statewide, serving more tan 1700 students.

MEETING THE NEED

JMG seeks to provide young people with the motivation and skills they need to stay in school, graduate, and become productive citizens. For much of America's youth, college provides a bridge between high school and career.

For the non-college bound student, however, few such bridges exist, and unemployment or underemployments are often the result. JMG's mission is to ensure these students stay connected to school and successfully engage the world of work upon graduation.

However, JMG also teaches that to thrive in the ever-changing global marketplace, life long learning will be necessary; as a result of this emphasis and JMG's career exploration component, 22 percent of JMG graduates do go on to post-secondary education- the national average for all students in the same age group.