Dr. René Cantú is executive director of the state’s Jobs for Nevada’s Graduates (J4NG) program.
Courtesy Photo
Jobs for Nevada’s Graduates (J4NG), a statewide nonprofit focused on workforce development solutions, recently received a $725,000 federal grant to launch a Workforce Pathways for Youth Program.
According to a June 16 press release, the grant is designed to support out-of-school time programs and will allow J4NG to connect more youth to apprenticeships, certificate programs, internships employment, job training and post-secondary training.
Gov. Steve Sisolak, a JAG National Board Member, this month commended J4NG for achieving impressive success rates, including a 97.3% graduation rate and a 92% full-time job rate after high school.
“The J4NG program has proven to achieve some of the highest success rates with its students across the state, which shows that Nevada’s youth are some of the most capable, hard-working and talented of their peers,” Sisolak said in a statement. “With this federal grant funding, J4NG will be able to connect even more youth in every corner of the state to jobs and career training opportunities, ensuring that more young Nevadans enter our workforce as skilled workers who will help drive Nevada’s growing, diverse economy.”
In all, 51 schools across Nevada offer JAG programs through J4NG, serving more than 3,300 students. J4NG students receive 120-plus hours of career readiness instruction, guidance and support through graduation and the first 12 months after graduation.
“Ever dedicated to educational excellence, Governor Sisolak merits tremendous recognition for his vision of using J4NG as a data-driven, highly effective strategy to raise educational outcomes for all Nevada youth,” Dr. René Cantú, Executive Director of J4NG, said in a statement. “Students are at the forefront of every J4NG effort, and our hard-working and dedicated students deserve the credit for the positive outcomes that they have achieved with the support of our trained and talented specialists who are embedded in schools throughout the state.”
