Social connections and experiences lead to access. For many students living and attending schools in under-sourced areas, these vital connections and the potential they can offer are severely limited, if not nonexistent.
At STL.works, we are rectifying that for our young students. How? By connecting their teachers and administrators to essential community resources that will ultimately help these students learn about a myriad of career pathways available them – most of which don’t require a four-year degree – and allow them to gain the skills they need to land a job they will love.
Today, high-paying skilled careers that don’t require a bachelor’s degree represent over half of the job market – and these jobs are across a wide range of industries and skillsets. Think healthcare, manufacturing, trades, and technology, for example.
Among the many schools we work with throughout the region, there is one connection I’d like to highlight here – Lift for Life Academy High School. For the past three years, I have been working closely with two key school representatives there, Patricia Mosely, director of College & Career Counseling, and Dr. Katrice Noble, the deputy director.
With the support of our more than 100 RBC member companies, we have been able to connect these Lift for Life educators and administrators and, ultimately, their bright young students, to vital resources throughout the community. These connections and partnerships are helping these students reimagine a more lucrative future.
As Patricia always says, college is not for everyone and that’s ok.
“There’s so many ways to be successful in life” Patricia said. “And after making the connection with Alandon nearly three years ago, we are now exposing our students to careers they weren’t even able to imagine existed. Our students have had access and made connections with people in countless professions – construction, music, law, healthcare, media, you name it. We now have graduates pursuing their passion in their respective fields of choice, living their dreams, thanks to the groundwork laid out by this program.”
Lift for Life students, as part of its Career and Technical Education (CTE) program, will be taking approximately 35 high school juniors and seniors on a career exploration day later this month to Clayco’s new headquarters, located in Kinloch, Missouri. Clayco is an architecture, engineering, design-build and construction firm with clients throughout North America.
While there, Lift for Life students will tour the complex, talk one-on-one with professional engineers, designers, architects and other company reps to learn more about their jobs and the work they do, and enjoy a Q&A lunch session. The following month, Clayco will host a second STL.works career day with students from East St. Louis High School who are enrolled in their school’s CTE program. These are just two of hundreds of connections made by STL.works each year.
As you can see, we strongly believe that early exposure to career pathways is essential for youth, as it helps them connect classroom learning with real-world applications. As Patricia said, many students have dreams of pursuing specific professions, but without active support from companies, educators and the community, those dreams can remain abstract. By providing meaningful opportunities for students to explore careers before they graduate, we equip them with a clearer vision of life beyond high school and empower them to make
informed decisions about their future.
“This has just been such a life-saving connection for our students,” Patricia said. “Through our partnership with Alandon and STL.works, we have provided a vision of an achievable future for them. They feel relevant and connected.”
At STL.works, we know the opportunities exist. We know students deserve to see them before they step into the world. And, together, we’ll make sure they do.
