Readyct

For the 2022-23 academic year, Readyct provided career pathway programming (cpp) support in four Connecticut public school districts in ten unique high school buildings, with team members managing and/or offering work-based learning coordination for 16 career pathway programs. All cpp focuses on bringing business professionals and community-based partners into the school in ways that complement themed coursework and help students understand career opportunities available to them. As well, the cpp experience prepares students for those opportunities, whether they pursue continued education/training or go directly into the workforce. Readyct cpp is specifically designed to align with Connecticut's high-growth, high-demand industries; current themes include: business/financial services, computer science, engineering/green technology, healthcare, information technology, insurance/financial services, manufacturing, and public service. A core component of programming is students' career preparation experience, so cpp also includes a work readiness curriculum that helps students learn and apply skills such as time management, professional communications, personal branding, workplace etiquette, resume writing, and interviewing. For many students, the cpp experience culminates with a paid internship experience aligned with their career pathway theme. Some of the state's largest employers host Readyct interns, including hartford healthcare, travelers, ey, and stanley black & decker. As well, mid-sized and smaller, family-owned companies welcome Readyct interns, year after year. For summer 2023, over 400 high school students interns had high-quality paid internship experiences as a result of their career readiness training.

Readyct's most recent policy work has been at the administrative level. The work includes engagement with the governor's workforce council education + training and work-based learning committees, charged with better aligning the state's pubilc education system with Connecticut's workforce needs.

Readyct raises public awareness through targeted events (e.g., the annual business & community partner breakfast), e-marketing, media outreach, social media, and its website, working to produce engaging content for a range of stakeholders. Stakeholders include students, parents, teachers, funders, partners, collaborators, legislators, and other influencers