Staff Reports
INDIANAPOLIS — Megan Hockersmith, a senior at Jennings County High School, placed first in the Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) State Career Development Conference.
Hockersmith was first in the writing skills category. She was among students from around the state who gathered March 11 at Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis for the conference.
Those who attended already had taken part in regional conferences for a chance to earn monetary awards to compete at the state level.
Students demonstrated their employability skills in the following categories: Career presentation, employability skills, creating solutions, writing skills, critical thinking, financial literacy, public speaking, entrepreneurship and cover design.
The Jobs for America’s Graduates program is a state-based national nonprofit dedicated to developing students academically by helping them overcome barriers to graduation. Since 2006, the Indiana program has helped more than 15,000 Hoosier students stay in school through graduation, pursue post-secondary education and secure jobs leading to careers.
Students learn critical thinking, team leadership and effective communication skills to increase marketability in today’s workforce.
Students receive adult mentoring while in school and one year of followup counseling after graduation.
More than 5,500 students participate in the program through 104 programs in more than 96 schools throughout Indiana, making Indiana’s JAG program the largest in the nation.
Indiana’s program graduates 93 percent of participants. JAG is funded through community partners and grants provided by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.
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To learn more about the Indiana Jobs for America’s Graduates program, visit in.gov/dwd/JAG.htm.
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