Ridge Hill Academy back in session

The fifth session of Ridge Hill Academy, a program for Yonkers students to experience and learn about jobs in retail, started Tuesday.

Forest City Ratner Cos., owner of Westchester’s Ridge Hill, has funded the six-week program since 2013 through a $100,000 grant to Yonkers Partners in Education, a not-for-profit organization working in partnership with Yonkers Public Schools to increase the number of students who complete a post-secondary program.

Through workshops at Ridge Hill, Yonkers public school students learn about careers in management and the retail industry, including restaurant management, retail operations, security and maintenance management, health care center management, public relations and marketing.

Students rotate among Ridge Hill”™s retailers to learn about the educational paths needed to obtain entry-level positions. They also work on job readiness and in skill-building workshops focused on resume writing, interviewing and workplace etiquette.

Each Ridge Hill Academy graduate is awarded a certificate upon completion of the program and has the opportunity to apply for summer internships and jobs at Ridge Hill.