SC Workforce Program surpasses National Benchmarks

Almost all high school seniors enrolled in the state’s Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG-SC) program received a diploma this year.  The program achieved a high school graduation rate of 95%, which is 5% higher than the national standard. This marks the third consecutive year the rate has been at 93% or higher.  At 97.5%, JAG-SC’s 2012 extended graduation rate, which is measured after a one-year follow-up period, is the highest in the program’s history. Coordinated by the SC Department of Employment and Workforce, JAG-SC is a high school dropout prevention program focused on academic success and career readiness skills. Currently in its eighth year, it has served more than 5,500 students who face several documented barriers to success. With the help of a dedicated career specialist at each school, JAG students work on skills identified by businesses as essential to successful employment. The S.C. program has been consistently recognized at the national level for its success in equipping young people for life beyond high school. JAG-SC graduates of the class of 2012 exceeded all of the national standards. Ninety-one percent of last year’s graduates attended college, enlisted in the military or accepted full or part-time job positions, an outcome that is well above the organization’s national standard of 80%. In addition, 80% of the employed 2012 graduates received full-time jobs, a rate well above the national standard of 60%.