STAMFORD — To help Connectiut high school students connect tech-enabled training and resources, the Southwest Connecticut Tech Hub announced Jan. 27 it has launched a campaign to lead them on a focused career path.
The campaign is meant to create awareness among high school juniors and seniors about training and career opportunities in promising tech fields such as networking and systems, data analytics, software engineering and cybersecurity.
Called Just Like Me, the Stamford Partnership – a co-convener of the Southwest Connecticut Tech Hub – along with regional workforce board The WorkPlace created a program that matching students’ interests and skills to occupations. The campaign features a link to technical training programs so that prospects can request more information on career profiles. It also includes digital displays, mobile web pages and online posters designed to interest and engage target audiences.
This initiative is being funded by a Good Jobs Challenge grant, which is funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration via the state of Connecticut’s Office of Workforce Strategy.
“The campaign aims to provide high school students with insights into tech careers in the region and the education and training pathways for in-demand jobs that fit their strengths and interests,” says Patricia Meyer, director of the Good Jobs Challenge Program. “It helps address the needs of students who are unsure about pursuing a more traditional college or university path after high school.
“It talks to them head on about taking that next step in charting their professional futures, which can provide clarity and a sense of fulfillment about their careers that they may have lacked previously.”
A recent study from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 61% of U.S. high school graduates in 2023 enrolled at a college or university that fall, which means nearly 40% chose a non-college path.
Campaign materials will be made accessible to students through principals, teachers and career/guidance counselors at target high schools in Fairfield County in order to educate and engage key administrators and influencers to support this effort.
Last year, The WorkPlace teamed up with Fairchild Wheeler Interdistrict Multi-Magnet High School in Bridgeport on a pilot program to deliver IT certification and training to 15 of the school’s juniors and seniors. Upon graduation in the spring, some students used their new skills and certifications to find employment in technology occupations and to begin college.
“We are thrilled to embark on year two of our partnership with The WorkPlace to help our students gain the skills and certifications they need to enrich their technology backgrounds and explore relevant career opportunities post-graduation,” says Chris Johnson, principal at the Fairchild Wheeler Interdistrict Multi-Magnet School in Bridgeport. “As we evolve this partnership, we are eager to help broaden the awareness of more students to these career pathways and support them in developing the skills and training they need for college and to pursue rewarding tech jobs in our region.”
