During the past 10 years, WXXI has collaborated with regional partners to advance education and career readiness in the region by building awareness of career pathways to attain “good jobs.” WXXI has produced over 40 local content videos focused in-demand career sectors that require training beyond high school but less than a four-year degree to get started in the field. Many of these careers have alternative pathways including getting professional certificates in a job skill, apprenticeship, career and technical education while still in high school, community college and on-the-job training or additional training at local university paid for by the employer.
WXXI’s American Graduate work emphasizes:
• Thousands of in-demand jobs that go unfilled in our region
• Accessing careers through training, apprenticeship, professional certificates,
associates programs, and on-the-job training
• Sharing inspiring stories of how people found their career pathway
in our region and how individuals can get started pursuing a career and continue to learn
• Connecting to resources to research new career options
• Local hands-on career events, industry tours, career days and job fairs
• Connecting with career counselors at educational sites and one-stop job centers and workforce resources to make connections for students
• WXXI connects schools, libraries, out of school programs, parents, youth and young adults with career exploration resources in the region that are free to all such as:
- WXXI American Graduate Career Profiles Playlist
- PBS LearningMedia career profiles
- WXXI’s Career Series: I Can Be What?!
- GLOW With Your Hands Virtual career site
- Interactive Career Coach To Learn About Career Pathways in the 9 Counties (from MCC)
- Career Documentaries On-Demand from Public Media
- Community Career Resources Including: One Stop Centers, Career-Technical Programs, Community Colleges, Explorer Programs, Apprenticeship: Youth and NYS options
Learn More from Our Local Panel with panelists from workforce and education to react to related issues facing our 9-county Greater Rochester and Finger Lakes Region and reactions to the national event content, moderated by Marion French, WXXI’s Vice President, Education & Interactive Services. (From June 8, 2021)
Panelists in the local discussion:
- Atwan Williams, Director of Youth System Services for RochesterWorks!
- Charisma Travis, M.S., Program Director of Afterschool Academy, Urban League of Rochester, N.Y. Inc.
- Jay Lazarony, Executive Director, Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming Counties GLOW Workforce Development Board
- Jill Slavny, Executive Principal, WEMOCO Career and Technical Education Center Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES
2021 Regional Event Partners included:
- Young Women’s College Prep Foundation, Inc.
- PathStone Corporation Workforce Program & National Farmworkers Jobs Program,
- Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES Career and Technical Education (WEMOCO)
- Livingston County Area Chamber of Commerce | Livingston County Education Alliance
- GLOW Workforce Development Board
- NYMAT Machine Tool Corp
- Finger Lakes Works Youth Programs of Finger Lakes Workforce Investment Board & Sodus Central School District with Wayne County Consortium Schools
- Genesee County Job Development Bureau
- Genesee Valley BOCES: CTE schools in Batavia & Mt. Morris, NY
- Optimax Systems
- Explorers Program, Scouts of America
- RochesterWorks!
- LandPro Equipment
- Livingston Associates
- Urban League of Rochester, After School Academy