(Indianapolis, IN) – Several local students were top finishers at last Friday’s Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) State Career Development Conference in Indianapolis.
The event put on by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) gives JAG students the opportunity to take part in competitions that highlight employability skills they’ve learned through the program.
Top finishers from our area were:
- Shelby Williams, Milan High School – 1st place in Public Speaking.
- Angel Tunny, South Ripley High School – 1st place in Writing Skills.
- Isaiah Lee and Piper Twiggs, Franklin County High School – 3rd place in Entrepreneurship Plan.
“Our state conference showcases skills vital to a student’s future success in employment, postsecondary enrollment, and/or military enlistment,” said DWD Commissioner Richard Paulk. “To build on the proven efficacy of JAG, DWD, under the leadership of Governor Holcomb, is in the process of expanding from 125 to 250 programs. Once the expansion is complete, JAG programming will reach an estimated 10,000 students annually, driving an outsized impact on their communities and the State of Indiana.”
More than 145 students from over 50 Indiana high schools advanced to the state conference for an opportunity to earn monetary awards in 14 categories by showcasing skills learned through the program, such as finance, entrepreneurship and project management.
JAG is a state-based, national non-profit organization dedicated to helping high school students of promise who have experienced challenging or traumatic life experiences achieve academic success through graduation. Students learn up to 88 competencies such as critical thinking, team leadership and effective communications skills to increase employability.
To learn more about JAG, including Indiana’s expansion of the program, click here.
This year’s conference took place at the Ivy Tech Community College Culinary and Conference Center in Indianapolis.
