New Partnership Will Seek To Help Oklahoma High School Students Find Careers

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt announced a new partnership on Monday afternoon to help high school students across the state.

Called JAG, or Jobs for America's Graduates, it will now have an affiliate in Oklahoma, with a presence in several high schools.

The national nonprofit provides mentoring and job training skills to students who face academic and economic challenges. The program works to help them graduate and go to college or find full-time employment through work-based learning experiences.

"The latest data shows the unemployment rate among JAG graduates was three times lower than their peers," said Governor Stitt.

JAG president Ken Smith said they've been looking to expand into Oklahoma for several years.Smith said the program is important now during the pandemic because of high unemployment rates for young people.

Smith said the unemployment rate for 18 and 19-year-olds nationwide is about 30%, but for young people in JAG, it was only 11%.

Six high schools in Oklahoma are the first to get the program, including Broken Arrow and Bartlesville. JAG said they plan to expand to even more schools statewide in the near future.

Governor Kevin Stitt will now serve on the program's national board of directors.

The initial cost of the program is about $500,000 that is paid for through a partnership with a state agency. The Governor's office said they're working on a steady revenue stream to grow it in future years.