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Skills for Rhode Island’s Future (SkillsRI) will receive a 3-year, $1.5 million grant from American Student Assistance^® (ASA) to expand the PrepareRI High School Internship Program. The grant will allow SkillsRI to place additional students into paid internships this summer and to hire 3 career-readiness coaches to work with students year-round from high-need districts to help them gain the skills, knowledge, and expertise needed for their postsecondary success.

Governor Gina M. Raimondo announced the grant at SkillsRI’s annual PrepareRI Internship Employer Engagement Breakfast today at Citizens Bank Corporate Campus in Johnston. “I’m thrilled that PrepareRI will be receiving a $1.5 million grant from American Student Assistance. This critical funding will allow an additional 100 high school students to participate in PrepareRI’s work readiness training and paid internship program this summer. We are on a mission to improve career readiness for all Rhode Islanders, and this grant will propel our work forward.”

Jean Eddy, President and CEO of ASA^®, addressed the audience of nearly 140 employer guests to stress the importance of working together to help students achieve their education and career goals. “At ASA we believe that students should explore and experiment with different career paths early in their education journey so they can uncover their own interests and abilities, and the PrepareRI internship program does exactly that. We are committed to this initiative and proud to fund its expansion so that more Rhode Island students can benefit from summer internships and year-round career preparedness activities.”

Nina Pande, Executive Director of Skills for Rhode Island’s Future, thanked Jean and the ASA board of directors for their partnership. “Thanks to the support of American Student Assistance, we will be able to increase the number of PrepareRI student interns from 326 last summer to 425 students this year. These meaningful opportunities will help students gain valuable, hands-on experience and prepare them to achieve success in their future careers.” Mike Grey, chairman of the Governor’s Workforce Board, added “providing young people with work-based learning experiences is an essential part of Rhode Island’s workforce development strategy. The PrepareRI program not only allows students to develop their skills and explore different career paths; it also helps build a pipeline of future talent for our state’s employers. I’m thrilled that this grant will give even more students access to these opportunities.”

DATA PATHWAY Classes — Sign up NOW!

PPL’s Data Analysis and Data Visualization classes are starting up again for the new year. These free classes will teach you the skills you need to get started working with data. Basic Excel knowledge is required (see Essential Excel classes, below, if you need an Excel refresher).

Data Analytics
January 21 – March 12
Tue & Thur 5:30-7:30 pm
Covering: data collection, advanced Excel, and introductory data analysis techniques such as linear regression.

Data Visualization
January 22 – March 16
Mon & Wed 5:30-7:30 pm
Covering: more advanced data analysis tools and data visualization through Excel and Tableau.

For more information and to register, visit: http://prov.pub/data

Holiday greetings!
As the year draws to a close, we want to thank our board members, employer and community-based partners, and funders for their continued support and generosity. You have helped nearly 1,900 Rhode Islanders secure gainful employment or complete a job training program, built a talent pipeline for 78 employers in the state, provided work-based learning opportunities for more than 500 student interns, and helped nearly 7,000 individuals become job ready through career enhancement services.

Please consider a year-end gift to help us provide hope and opportunity to those Rhode Islanders who are still out of work and seeking a path toward upward mobility. Our goal in 2020 is to transform the lives of 1,200 individuals through employment and job training opportunities. A gift from you will help us achieve this goal and make a real, lasting impact in the lives of those still in need.

Please visit SkillsRI Funding and support to make your gift today.

We wish you and your family joy, comfort and holiday cheer.

With warmth & gratitude,

Nina Pande
Executive Director

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PROVIDENCE – Skills for Rhode Island’s Future and Southside Community Land Trust have been selected as the 2019 Bank of America Neighborhood Builders awardees for Rhode Island. The nonprofits were selected for their work in the state to address issues fundamental to the health and vitality of our communities.

As an awardee, each organization receives a $200,000 grant, a year of leadership training for the Executive Director and an Emerging Leader at the organization, access to a network of peer organizations across the U.S., and the opportunity to access capital to expand their impact. This year marks the 16thanniversary of the Neighborhood Builders program nationwide. Since 2004, Bank of America has invested more than $220 million in 49 communities through Neighborhood Builders, partnering with more than 1,000 nonprofits and helping more than 2,000 nonprofit leaders strengthen their leadership skills. The program is one of the nation’s largest philanthropic investments in nonprofit leadership.

“The Neighborhood Builders program gives nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island the power to transform lives and drive economic mobility in the communities in which they operate,” said Bill Hatfield, Bank of America’s Rhode Island President. “Skills for Rhode Island’s Future and Southside Community Land Trust are focused on addressing important issues challenging our community, and they are positively impacting countless individuals and families. Both of these organizations represent the finest of what we look for in Neighborhood Builders.”

Skills for Rhode Island’s Future is a nonprofit working to match businesses that have current, unmet hiring needs with qualified unemployed and underemployed job seekers. This demand-driven approach addresses both joblessness and staffing needs by pairing them directly together. Local employers commit to fill their unmet hiring needs with qualified unemployed and underemployed residents of Rhode Island. Job seekers are placed into these identified opportunities. Skills for Rhode Island’s Future has been launched with support from the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training and in partnership with the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce.

“It is such an honor and a privilege to be selected as one of this year’s Neighborhood Builders by Bank of America. This award and the accompanying training and networking opportunities will help propel our organization forward and advance our mission of ensuring that every Rhode Islander has a pathway to economic security and mobility,” said Nina Pande, Executive Director at Skills for Rhode Island’s Future.

Southside Community Land Trust serves people in economically challenged urban neighborhoods where fresh produce is scarce and who, as a result, are at risk for life-threatening, diet-related chronic diseases. They help by educating people about diet and nutrition, agriculture and the environment; building and managing community gardens and farms; providing low-cost agricultural resources and support to community gardeners; and training beginning farmers and enabling them to sell their produce to members of their communities.

“This award will enable Southside Community Land Trust to build stronger programs through community outreach while also increasing our internal management capacity. It builds on decades of sustained and meaningful growth while creating new possibilities for the future of our organization and the people and communities we serve,” said Margaret DeVos, Executive Director for Southside Community Land Trust.

PrepareRI Internship Applications Now Available
Current High School Juniors Can Apply for Paid Summer Internships with Rhode Island’s Top Employers

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Applications for the third year of the Prepare Rhode Island (PrepareRI) Internship Program are now available and will be accepted through December 31, 2019. Launched in the summer of 2018, the PrepareRI Internship Program provides paid summer internships to rising high school seniors, who also have the opportunity to earn up to four college credits at no cost.

Students can apply online on the PrepareRI website.

Last year, 326 students participated, working at 75 partner companies and organizations statewide. PrepareRI Internship employers represent a diverse array of industries, from health care and finance to technology and public policy, including some of the state’s leading businesses, such as Amgen, Bank of America, CVS, Citizen’s Bank, FM Global, Gilbane, Hasbro, Lifespan, Nordson and Teknor Apex.

“PrepareRI is kicking off another year of connecting students with opportunities to learn new skills and earn money by doing real, hands-on work,” said Governor Raimondo. “The experience that students gain during their internships will help them succeed—both in the classroom and in the workforce. It’s critical that we give students the opportunity to develop their skills while still in high school.”

The internship program is one component of PrepareRI, a statewide initiative aligned to industry to prepare all Rhode Island youth for success in college and career. This comprehensive statewide strategy also includes dual and concurrent enrollment early college opportunities, career and technical education, Advanced Placement and the Advanced Course Network, among others.

The initiative represents a strategic partnership between Rhode Island government, private industry leaders, the public education system, universities, employers, and non-profits across the state. The Governor’s Workforce Board (GWB) is one of the agencies helping to coordinate the PrepareRI work overall and is the lead agency for the PrepareRI Internship Program. GWB works with an independent non-profit intermediary, Skills for Rhode Island’s Future (SkillsRI), which identifies and matches students to internship opportunities.

“The PrepareRI Internship Program provides our young people with access to real-life work experiences and professional mentors right here in Rhode Island,” said Mike Grey, chair of the Governor’s Workforce Board. “The program gives students the chance to build essential skills and explore career paths, but also helps ensure that our employers have a pipeline of talent that is prepared to thrive in the workplace and drive our state’s economy forward.”

To participate in the internship, students must apply by December 31, 2019, and then attend an orientation session with a parent or guardian in January or February. Students are then invited to interview for job opportunities, often going through the interview and resume writing process for the first time. From there, students attend a Work Readiness Boot Camp, a 40-hour, week-long onboarding in June that prepares them for what they will face in the workforce. The Boot Camp covers important work skills like public speaking, team building, problem solving, and the expectations of employers.

In July and August, students ultimately accepted to the program will complete between 150 and 240 hours of the paid internship with their matched employer.

“The PrepareRI program is an excellent opportunity for students to gain real work experience that will help guide their future academic and career goals while building a pipeline of future talent for employers in the state,” said Nina Pande, Executive Director of Skills for Rhode Island’s Future.

PrepareRI launched in 2018, after Rhode Island was one of only 10 states awarded New Skills for Youth funding from JPMorgan Chase and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). Learn more about PrepareRI and how students, educators, and employers can get involved at Prepare-RI.org

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