The DuPage County Regional Education Office, in partnership with the College of DuPage Hire-Ed and GPS Education Partners (GPSEd), is proud to announce the launch of a hands-on work opportunity and experience in career exploration for high school students in DuPage County.

The DuPage Workplace Learning and Youth Learning Collaboration, which was first piloted in the 2020-2021 school year with eight DuPage high schools, is designed to help students aged 16 and over to access employment, education, training and support services to succeed in the workforce. Students enrolled in this program are paid apprenticeship students from local business partners. As student apprentices, they work 450 hours of on-the-job learning during training throughout the year.

During the 2020-2021 school year, 11 students participated in the pilot version of the program, and three of these students continue as apprentices with the College of DuPage’s Hire-Ed program. Program coordinators say several more high schools will participate in the program during the current school year – along with many more students.

Dr. Darlene Ruscitti, Regional Superintendent of Schools in DuPage County, explains that the overarching goal of the program is to serve DuPage County. “We hope to give students the tools they need to have positive pre-graduation workplace experiences so that they can experience a successful career after graduation. This will strengthen in turn the DuPage County workforce with skilled workers now and in the years to come, ”says Ruscitti.

With many companies experiencing labor shortages, the Work-Based Learning Collaborative helps the community by matching employers with students who are serious about contributing to the success of their respective industries.

Last spring, ROE, in conjunction with WorkNet DuPage, hosted a CEO event to showcase the program, and the response was enthusiastic. Over 100 people attended the event.

Greg Carrico, the director of human resources for Camcraft, Inc., a component manufacturer in Hanover Park, commented, “We didn’t know where to start to bring young people into our business. It was really refreshing to get help for this. . “

High-demand sectors such as manufacturing, cybersecurity, information technology, healthcare services, and logistics are just a few of the career paths that will be available to students. Students in the program also have the opportunity to visit workplaces, complete an internship, do an internship and participate in paid pre-apprenticeships.

Ruscitti hopes more schools and students will benefit from the program. “We received very positive feedback from participants. One of the biggest benefits for students is that they can earn high school credit and a paycheck to start their path to financial independence. Plus, they can explore college and career options while developing valuable professional and technical skills – all before they graduate from high school, ”said Ruscitti.

DuPage ROE is seeking additional funding for this program. They have secured a source of funding that helps a limited number of students, but they hope that additional funding will serve all participating students. In the meantime, ROE is working alongside Project Hire-Ed (College of DuPage), WorkNet DuPage and GPS Education Partners, to develop marketing tools and a website where students, parents, schools and businesses can get more information about the program. .

For more information on this exciting new program and how to get involved, visit the Work-Based Learning & Youth Apprenticeship Collaborative website.

About the DuPage Regional Education Office

The DuPage Regional Education Office is a service organization whose role is to provide high quality service and support to all stakeholders and collectively make every effort to prepare the children of DuPage County for the world. that they will be faced with. In addition to the myriad of services provided directly to educators and schools, the office also provides service and support to community members, private schools, parents, children, business leaders and others. For more information, visit DuPageROE.org.

About Project Hire-Ed (College of DuPage)

Project Hire-Ed is an apprenticeship program that bridges hiring and education to help employers find the right talent for their organizations and teach students the skills employers are looking for. They have been around for two years and currently offer apprenticeships in the manufacturing and horticultural industries. In 2022, they will offer opportunities in the areas of information technology. For more information, visit www.cod.edu/project-hire-ed/index.aspx.

About GPS Training Partners

GPS Education Partners (GPSEd) is a nonprofit organization that has led the workplace learning revolution in Wisconsin for over 20 years. GPSEd now serves as an intermediary partner for schools, businesses and communities – across the Midwest and beyond – to provide scalable, quality workplace learning solutions that impact education systems, needs in talent pipeline and unite and stimulate local economies through the development of technical talent and young leaders. For more information, visit GPS Education Partners.