With a dedication to the job that her leader calls “awe-inspiring,” a Hartford High School Specialist in the Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates program under the flag of Youth Solutions, Inc. based in Benton Harbor and part of the Kinexus Group, has been named as a national award winner for “Outstanding Specialist of the Year.”
Jocelynne Braddock, a Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates Specialist at Hartford High has won that top honor for her work under Youth Solutions, Inc., the nonprofit organization offering opportunity pathways to education and employment success for Michigan’s vulnerable youth, through its leading program, Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates.
JMG is the state- based affiliate of Jobs for American’s Graduates (JAG), an organization with 40 years of youth education and employment success. JAG National invites state affiliates to nominate up to three Outstanding Specialist award winners, and those award winners are exceptional, consistently delivering on the mission, offering best-in-class programs and going above and beyond to support their youth. Jocelynne Braddock, who has been with JMG for five years, was nominated and selected as one of the “2020 Outstanding Specialist of the Year.” Her award was announced at JAG’s Virtual National Training Seminar.
Kristin Harrington, Executive Director of Youth Solutions, Inc., says, “Jocelynne’s dedication to and passion for Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates is awe-inspiring,” and adds, “Year-after-year, Jocelynne sets a high bar for her young people and our other specialists from around the state. Equally as important as the high bar she sets is her commitment to helping everyone else to meet that bar. The young people in her programming know that Jocelynne is always available to help and her fellow specialists look to Jocelynne as a network leader and support system.”
In addition to Jocelynne’s award, the two JMG programs at Hartford High School were recognized for achieving JAG’s most prestigious programming award, the JAG ‘5 of 5’, given to programs that meet or surpass all of JAG’s five rigorous performance metrics dedicated to ensuring young people succeed in education and employment.
Not only did the Hartford programs achieve JAG’s ‘5 of 5’ but also an additional metric around the significance of going on to further education in securing meaningful employment. Both Hartford High School specialists, Jocelynne Braddock and Val Owens, former JMG Specialist at Hartford High School, achieved that significant award.
JMG, provides service to 3,300+ youth hailing from 245 cities, towns, and villages across the state of Michigan. JMG has had eight consecutive years of graduation rates that are 90-percent or higher for all dropout prevention programming and 85-percent rates of employment, post-secondary education, or the military for graduates in the past five years.
Youth Solutions, Inc. is a premier youth opportunity organization providing pathways to education and employment success for Michigan’s vulnerable youth. For more information or to become a partner, you can visit online at http://www.ouryouthsolutions.org and “like” them on Facebook @JobsforMichigansGraduates.
