Indianapolis, IN –Six area high school students stood out at the State Career Development Conference.
Governor Eric Holcomb and the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) held the 2023 State Career Development Conference Friday, March 17.
An annual event for Hoosier high school students enrolled in Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) to participate in competitive events that highlight the employability skills they have learned through the program.
“JAG is helping young Hoosiers define who they want to be and equipping them with the necessary skills to be successful after graduation,” Gov. Holcomb said. “Through JAG, more Indiana students are earning their high school diploma, entering the workforce, enrolling in postsecondary education, and enlisting in the military.”
JAG Indiana’s 15th annual Career Development Conference was the culmination of regional competitions, which focused on disciplines critical to employment. More than 140 students from 57 Indiana high schools advanced to the state conference for an opportunity to earn monetary awards by showcasing skills learned through the program, such as finance, entrepreneurship, and project management.
“JAG is all about building tomorrow’s workforce, today,” said DWD Commissioner David J. Adams. “By connecting talent –especially at an early age — with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to access the market, and filling roles employers need immediately, we are moving Indiana forward together. Employers engaged with JAG students get the opportunity to see their future workforce and select their next employees, and students get introduced to real-world employers, jobs, and careers.”
Students competed in 14 categories, including the top Outstanding Senior award.
Local students who placed at the event were:
- Madison Cavins, Milan High School, 1st place in Public Speaking;
- Madison Merritt, Franklin County High School, 1st place in Project Based Learning;
- Haley McKeown, Milan High School, 2nd place in Cover Design and Honorable Mention for Outstanding Senior;
- Angel Tunney, South Ripley High Schook, 2nd place in Writing Skills;
- Piper Twiggs, Franklin County High School, 3rd place in Career Presentation;
- Isaiah Lee, Franklin County High School, 2nd place in Creative Solutions.
“JAG has been truly beneficial to me,” said Cavins, a senior at Milan. “It has helped me grow into the person that I am now, today. JAG has taught me professional interview skills, financial literacy, public speaking skills, and it has also taught me where to go in life.”
“I’ve already learned so much from my [JAG] Specialist. She is always ready to help and support everyone,’ said Tunny, a sophomore at South Ripley. “She has helped me build my self-confidence and social skills. She has created such a comfortable environment for all her students. She has also helped me realize that I have so much more potential than I thought.”
JAG is a state-based, national non-profit organization that assists students with barriers to success by helping them overcome academic challenges and achieve graduation. Students learn up to 88 competencies such as critical thinking, team leadership, and effective communications skills to increase employability.
This year’s conference took place at the Ivy Tech Community College Culinary and Conference Center in Indianapolis.
Visit https://www.in.gov/dwd/jag/cdc/ to learn more.
