Baltimore City Community College and Year Up Baltimore to Launch Inaugural Community College Pilot Program with Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Led by Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler
Young, Urban Adults to Earn College Credits, Professional/Technical Skills Training and Access to Internships with Fortune 500 Companies
BALTIMORE — Baltimore City Community College and the national nonprofit Year Up will mark the official launch of their inaugural Community College Program with a ribbon-cutting Ceremony April 17 at 9:30 a.m. Year Up is an organization dedicated to empowering young, urban adults ages 18-24 to reach their full potential through professional careers and higher education. In addition to Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler, a number of other state and local public officials, Year Up representatives and corporate business partners will be on hand to celebrate the milestone at BCCC’s Liberty campus Mini Conference Center, 2901 Liberty Heights Ave.
BCCC Year Up students Sharon Robinson and Saeed Braswell
Recently recognized by President Clinton and the Clinton Global Initiative, Year Up prepares students for the workforce by providing a unique combination of technical and professional skills as well as college credits. Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler was the first to envision and champion a partnership between BCCC and Year Up’s Baltimore office to help young adults achieve economic prosperity.
The partnership is Year Up’s first community college pilot program in the U.S., which will empower students to be dual-enrolled at BCCC and have access to its library, tutoring resources and other college services in addition to those offered at Year Up. The program seeks to equip students with the tools they will need to get jobs and enhance their potential earning power.
“I am delighted Mr. Gansler immediately thought of BCCC when he was approached by Year Up because it shows that he understands our mission, which is to prepare students for new economy careers,” stated Dr. Carolane Williams, president of BCCC. “This partnership between us and Year Up can only mean success for everyone involved: students, businesses and the communities we serve.”
A key part of the experience is the opportunity to be directly connected to an internship at one of Year Up’s 200+ Fortune 500 corporate partners and government agency sponsors. Nationally, the Year Up program has a proven-track record of success:
• 100 percent placement of qualified Year Up students into internships;
• 95 percent of Year Up interns meet or exceed their internship manager’s expectations;
• 84 percent of Year Up graduates are employed or attending college full time within four months of completing the program;
• Employed Year Up graduates earn an average of $15 per hour – the equivalent of $30,000 per year.
“We couldn’t be more excited about joining forces with BCCC to help ensure our country’s young adults have the necessary skills to compete in the global job market,” said Founder and CEO of Year Up, Gerald Chertavian. “Community colleges play a critical role in preparing the future workforce of our country. Our combined effort will help young adults achieve their full potential while top companies will benefit from access to a strong pipeline of qualified talent.”
About Year Up
Year Up's mission is to close the Opportunity Divide by providing urban young adults with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education. Year Up achieves this mission through a high support, high expectation model that combines marketable job skills, stipends, internships and college credits. Its holistic approach focuses on students' professional and personal development to place these young adults on a viable path to economic self-sufficiency. Year Up currently serves more than 1,300 students a year at sites in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, New York City, Providence, San Francisco Bay Area, the National Capital Region, and Puget Sound (Seattle). To learn more, visit www.yearup.orgor www.youtube.com/yearupinc.
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For Immediate Release:
April 13, 2012
Contact:
Bill Fleming
410-462-8431
