A program that started ten years ago in the Benton Harbor Area School system has been cited by the University of Michigan as a powerful tool for young people all across the state of Michigan.
A major research study by the University of Michigan-Flint shows students who enrolled in the Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates (JMG) program have a higher graduation rate; higher weekly wages, and an increased likelihood of enrolling in college. The JMG program was established ten years ago in Benton Harbor to help at risk youth graduate from high school and be better prepared for the future.
Dr. Yener Kandogan is Associate Dean of the School of Management at the U-of-M-Flint. He says, “Positive outcomes for the program participants were observed across all three of the model types; which includes multi-year students, alternative education, and out of school youth.” Kandogan adds, “These successes were achieved despite significant academic, personal, and family backgrounds that placed students at risk of not graduating, obtaining employment, or enrolling in college.”
Kandogan’s study goes further to point out that successful outcomes were in fact, “observed across all racial-ethnic groups. The program was most successful in helping participants overcome barriers such as being economically disadvantaged, having dropped out of school, having a father that does not work, lacking motivation, trailing behind peers academically, and having a foster care or runaway background.”
The Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates (JMG) program started in 2008 at Benton Harbor High School and now serves more than 3,000 students across Michigan. The U of M Flint study included 299 senior-year participants from the graduating Class of 2015. Some of the findings of the report include:
- JMG students had a 94-percent graduation rate – 14-percent higher than the Michigan average, and 27-percent higher for African American and economically disadvantaged students.
- Participants in the program had an average of 7.4 barriers including being economically disadvantaged; trailing behind peers academically; having a foster care background.
- Time spent in JMG programming translated to an increase in the youths’ weekly wages – $1.09 more for every hour spent in leadership and employability skills training, and off-site career exploration and $2.25 more for every hour spent in community service or academic remediation activities.
- Of the study participants, 70-percent had planned to enter part or full time employment at the start of the program, although only 20-percent actually had a job. After the JMG program, 83-percent were employed – a 63-percent increase.
- After completing the JMG program, 57-percent of participants had enrolled in post-secondary education, a remarkable increase of 17,000-percent.
Kristin Harrington, Executive Director of Youth Solutions, which provides JMG programming through partnerships across Michigan notes, “The challenge in Michigan is building our youth talent pipeline.”
Harrington tells us, “In Michigan nearly 11,000 kids drop out of high school every year. Without that building block of a diploma students are more than twice as likely to live in poverty; 63 times more likely to be incarcerated; and 59-percent more likely to unemployed.” She adds, “This study proves we can turn this around and equip all of our young adults with the skills to overcome barriers and win in education, in employment, and in life.”
Educators across the state are seeing similar results. By way of example, Kevin Lane, Principal of the Starkweather Academy in the Plymouth Community Schools says, “This program is providing the ‘why’ for many of our students. Through this program I have seen many students engage in leadership and school in general for the first time.” Lane adds, “This is an amazing program that I wish every student in every school would have. It is providing the framework for what the state and we locally have been striving for and falling short of for the past ten years.”
For more information on Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates programming or the Youth Solutions organization, you can visit the website below:
