MONTANA – Governor Steve Bullock, Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen, and Department of Labor & Industry Commissioner Pam Bucy today announced that Jobs for Montana’s Graduates continues to be a national leader in building leadership and employment skills for Montana students.
Through the program, administered by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry, a remarkable 92 percent of the 2016 Jobs for Montana’s Graduates class earned their high school diploma and more than 92 percent of those graduates now have full-time jobs or are enrolled in college. In addition, Jobs for Montana’s Graduates students enrolled in college at higher levels than most states.
This year marks the eleventh time Jobs for Montana’s Graduates, an affiliate of Jobs for America’s Graduates, has earned the 5-for-5 National Performance Award. The award honors states and sites for achieving or surpassing the following benchmarks:
- Graduation Rate-90%
- Positive Outcomes Rate-80%
- Employment Rate-60%
- Full-Time Jobs Rate-60%
- Full-Time Placement Rate-80%
“Montanans should be proud of Jobs for Montana’s Graduates success, both statewide and at the individual level,”said Bullock. “While the numbers are impressive, we must remember that behind those numbers are stories about real students. Those students’ lives are being changed for the better each and every day through their involvement in Jobs for Montana’s Graduates as they strengthen their engagement with their schools, their communities and their future.”
"The Jobs for Montana's Graduates program is an investment and reflects the uniqueness of Montana's local communities. Keeping students engaged, including an emphasis in middle school, will set them on a successful path of lifelong learning,”said Arntzen. “As State Superintendent, I support the JMG program so that all Montana students can have an opportunity to be prepared to be college, career, and community ready."
“Jobs for Montana’s Graduates continues to prepare students to enter the workforce across diverse industry sectors,”said Commissioner Bucy. “As our state sees more retirees, these students will be ready to provide businesses a young talent pipeline to grow and expand their operations, as Montana’s future business leaders.”
Since 1990, Montana’s program has served more than 19,000 students in 32 high schools, 14 middle schools, 7 alternative programs and 2 “out-of-school” programs.