Greetings to all of our amazing partners, alumni and friends!
This has been a great quarter for Skillpoint Alliance. Our team has accomplished some incredible things for the organization. Our Gateway graduation rate jumped to an all time high of 94% during the 2nd quarter; and our current employment rates have also exceeded all previous quarters for Skillpoint. This is without question a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team and the commitment from our students.
We have been working strategically as a team to better identify opportunities to meet the needs of our community, including adding our first high school Gateway class at Austin CAN Academy. The program was a great success and as a result we are adding additional Gateway classes this fall and in the spring of 2018. Engaging Opportunity Youth is an integral part of our mission as we strive to enhance the quality of life for our students and prepare them for a rapidly changing global economy.
As we look towards the next quarter we are diligently working to develop an internship program with a local high school through collaboration and support from our industry partners. We also continue to focus on aligning our work with the goals of the Master Community Workforce Plan for the City of Austin. We know there is a huge need for skilled labor right here in our community and Skillpoint Alliance is poised and ready to work with industry to help close the gap while at the same time helping engage Opportunity Youth in finding a successful career pathway.
Our motto for the remainder of 2017 is to “Finish Strong” which I believe will truly prepare us to begin 2018 with high energy and an even stronger focus on preparing and connecting our students with industry partners. I look forward to even more exciting successes coming up in the next quarter and hope to see you at one of our graduations.
Sincerely,
Kevin Brackmeyer
Skillpoint Alliance Executive Director