Jim Kelley Career Pathway Center
Our new skilled trades and manufacturing training center is open! This 13,000 sq. ft. multi-million dollar training center, located just two doors from the Club, is comprised of five learning labs focusing on automotive, manufacturing, construction trades, health sciences and IT/Robotics/CAD. The training center provides teens with skills training which includes soft skills and resume writing and interview skills to prepare them to successfully enter the workforce and have a sustainable and fulfilling career. Students who complete training with JKCPC will leave with certifications for both OSHA and CPR.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne understand the importance of having early access to job training and educational programs that create pathways to guide youth toward educational success, emotional strength and economic self sufficiency. We are expanding our workforce and career development initiatives to provide today’s youth with opportunities to obtain vocational and job readiness skills and job assistance to obtain viable and rewarding careers.
The Jim Kelley Career Pathway Center not only prepares today’s youth to successfully enter the workforce, but provides local employers with a resource to find the well trained and skilled employees they so desperately need.
Through a partnership with Indiana University Fort Wayne (IUFW), teens are exposed to Health Science programs offered through IUFW. This IUFW Health Academy provided youth the opportunity to explore health science careers through hands on learning experiences and on campus visits to labs and learning centers. The program exposes students to Nursing, Dental Assisting and Hygiene, Radiography, Sonography (Ultra Sound), Public Health, Social Work, and Medicine.
Young Scholars Academy program prepares high school students for college by providing them with an academic and life skills curriculum offering personalized education and socio-emotional support. The program includes college prep education, access to university faculty and counselors, and college visits, along with providing support through the college admission process and enrollment.
In collaboration with Fort Wayne Community Schools as part of their Human Capital Pipeline project, seventh and eighth graders will utilize the facility with the purpose of developing basic skills and mindsets, exposing them to various industries, and engaging in experiences that embody creating career awareness.
In partnership with Fort Wayne Housing Authority, the YouthBuild Program brings local youth ages 16 – 24, who are out of school and/or have not obtained a high school diploma, through the construction trades program. Supported by the Department of Labor, YouthBuild members can earn money while getting valuable training and have the opportunity to obtain their high school diploma and certification in construction and healthcare to prepare them for postsecondary opportunities.
For more information, please contact:
Nick Gray, VP of Strategic Partnerships and Workforce Development
ngray@bgcfw.org
(260) 744-0998 ext. 202
Dr. Twana Burney, Director of Career & College Readiness
tburney@bgcfw.org
(260) 744-0998 ext. 204
