As superintendent of schools, my goal is to provide the Greater Hartford region with a workforce ready and able to make strong contributions, meeting the talent needs of employers as Baby Boomers retire.
Hartford Public Schools is fortunate that the richness of our partnership with the business community is outstanding. We have a strong foundation to build upon: the student internship program, a public-private partnership linking our career-focused secondary schools to internship opportunities. As superintendent of schools, my goal is to provide the Greater Hartford region with a workforce ready and able to make strong contributions, meeting the talent needs of employers as Baby Boomers retire.
I believe demographically Hartford could be a major provider of future talent and the cascading outcomes could impact the city and its residents in many positive ways. HPS’ vision is that our students will transform their world.
But Hartford Public Schools cannot achieve this alone. Our partnerships are extremely important in the task of strengthening the future workforce. This effort requires strong and consistent collaborations, including Hartford Public Schools, the city of Hartford, Capital Workforce Partners, the MetroHartford Alliance and the Connecticut Business and Industry Association.
Last spring, over 200 Hartford Public Schools students, mostly 11th graders, engaged in meaningful experiences. In summer, an additional 115 students had opportunities to acquire hands-on experience. These are not your typical “photocopy help” internships. Working with our partners, we are able to place students in a variety of industries with exposure to insurance and financial services, health, and manufacturing.
It will be a priority for Hartford Public Schools to build even closer relationships with our partners. The student internship program plan calls for an expansion in the number of 11th grade students engaged in school-linked internships to over 700 in 2016.
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