As part of the Summer Summit, Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates’ (JMG) annual professional
development conference, the awards ceremony celebrated outstanding (JMG) specialists and program accomplishments from around the state.
The Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) National Award for achieving their six key performance metrics is the most prestigious programming award given to JAG affiliate programs (such as JMG). Recipients of this award have met or surpassed all of JAG’s rigorous performance metrics dedicated to ensuring young people succeed in education and have a path toward family sustaining employment.
JMG achieved the six key performance metrics in all three program models: Multi-Year, Alternative Education, and Out-of-School, and was one of only two JAG affiliates nationwide to accomplish this.
Under “Program Specialist winners”, Erin O’Rourke, the Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium Youth Career Advisor and JMG program specialist in Crawford County, met all six of JAG’s key performance metrics criteria for her Out-of-School programs.
In the “Solutions Focused” category, it was Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium’s Youth Program Manager Ashley Udell joining two others to win this category. The “Solutions Focused” award is described as follows: These words carry a strong message, our name is in it. We work to find THE solution that will work for THAT young person. We will search for opportunities to remove barriers and persist in addressing challenges and celebrating successes. The ultimate solution is graduation and following a path to a family sustaining career. We always finding a way to work it out.