AT&T gives $200K to school for career prep

AT&T’s grant-making arm has donated $200,000 to Cony High School in Augusta for a career preparation program that seeks to address Maine’s so-called “skills gap.”

Jobs for Maine’s Graduates, a Maine-based nonprofit organization that helps high school students with career preparation, announced Tuesday that it will administer the AT&T Aspire program, which will provide high school students with various career, training and educational opportunities over the next two years.

The nonprofit said the program will help students “develop and hone the type of workplace skills, such as communication and critical thinking, that are in demand in today’s job market.”

The announcement comes after the Maine Chamber of Commerce and Maine Development Foundation released a report in December finding that less than half of the state’s employers believe graduates have enough skills to enter the workforce.

JMG said it has helped more than 25,000 high school students develop the necessary skills and confidence to enter the workforce over the last 21 years.

“Jobs for Maine’s Graduates is one of the country’s leaders in supporting student achievement and success beyond the classroom,” Patricia Jacobs, president of AT&T New England, said in a prepared statement. “AT&T is committed to doing everything we can to help students graduate high school with the skills they need to compete and thrive in the 21st century economy. We’re proud to support JMG and their proven success in helping students gain the knowledge and skills they’ll need to be successful.”

The AT&T Foundation has funded JMG’s program with more than $500,000 since 2008, helping double the number of students being served from 2,500 to 5,000 today.