In April 2014, Putnam County High School was awarded a $2.4 million grant from the United States Department of Labor (US DOL). The US DOL has recognized that there is great need for a trained, skilled workforce to fill job vacancies in high-demand STEM industries. The US DOL, along with the United States Department of Education (US DOE), the Youth CareerConnect (YCC) initative was developed. They announced they would be accepting proposals from schools who would create programs to meet their needs, and if chosen the program would be fully supported by federal grant funding.
Twenty-four grants were given out nationwide, yielding a total of $107 million allotted toward the YCC initiative. PCHS was one of those recipients, and the Youth Empowerment for Success (YES) Program was born! The YES Program focuses on academic dual-enrollment as well as technical dual-enrollment classes in the occupational areas of healthcare, information technology, and welding. In addition, the YES program aims to expose students to the world of work and ensure that they are ready for the next stage of their lives before they graduate. |