SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 100
disadvantaged high school students from San Francisco, Oakland and San
Jose are now starting life-changing internships in IT,
accounting, engineering, marketing and other fields with some of
the region's top employers including AT&T, Kirkland & Ellis
LLP, PG&E and others. The internships are the capstone of an
innovative, year-long training and work experience program from
non-profit Genesys Works that is helping to bridge the opportunity
gap for hundreds of low-income students and fill the skills gap for
dozens of major employers in the Bay Area and beyond.
"Young Americans are experiencing unemployment rates at least
twice the national average, even here in the Bay Area – the
innovation capital of the world," said Peter Katz, Executive Director, Genesys Works
Bay Area. "With support from companies like AT&T, Genesys Works
is helping to give some our region's most disadvantaged students
their first 'big break,' empowering them with both the skills and
work experience they need to succeed in college and a professional
career."
In the San Francisco Bay Area,
Genesys Works has trained more than 320 students and placed nearly
250 students in year-long meaningful internships across the Bay
Area since 2013. Ninety-eight percent of students have gone
directly to college after completing the program, with 68 percent
going to 4-year schools. Forty-one percent of alumni have pursued
degrees in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). This
academic year, the program will provide more than 100 students with
meaningful work experience at 25 companies including AT&T,
Kirkland & Ellis LLP, PG&E and others.
"STEM jobs are driving the economy and employers like AT&T
have a growing need for diverse talent with the skills to compete
in the knowledge-based economy," said Ken
McNeely, President, AT&T California. "AT&T is proud
to support this program, which is helping to bridge both the skills
gap for employers and the opportunity gap for students who lack
access to the learning and experience they need to pursue a career
in the innovation economy."
As one of Genesys Works' largest supporters, AT&T has
invested a total of $6 million in the
organization since 2012 as a part of AT&T Aspire, its signature
philanthropic initiative. AT&T has also helped the program
expand into the San Francisco Bay
Area and recently funded an initiative to help open new
programs in another 15 cities nationwide by 2022—serving up to
11,000 new students. The program currently serves students in
Houston, Chicago, Twin
Cities, the San Francisco Bay
Area, and Washington's
National Capital Region. In the Bay Area, Genesys Works serves
students in San Francisco,
Oakland and San Jose.
"Before this program, I would have told you that I never could
gain IT skills, give a speech every week, and become more
professional," said Leysmi Saldana, Cohort 4 Young Professional and
intern at AT&T. "Now, Genesys Works is a place that I can call
my second home. It has allowed me to break out and be who I truly
am."
Genesys Works boasts a remarkable success rate. To date, 100
percent of participating students have graduated from high school
and 98 percent have been accepted into college. The organization
recently surveyed program graduates with full time jobs who
graduated five or more years ago and found their median annual
income is $50,000. That's about
$10,000 more than the median income
for the U.S. population of 25-34-year-olds.*
*National Center for Education Statistics, 2016
About Philanthropy & Social Innovation at
AT&T
AT&T (NYSE:T) is committed to advancing
education, strengthening communities and improving lives. Through
its community initiatives, AT&T has a long history of investing
in projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic
and economic achievement; or address community needs. AT&T
Aspire is AT&T's signature philanthropic initiative that drives
innovation in education by bringing diverse resources to bear on
the issue including funding, technology, employee volunteerism, and
mentoring. Through Aspire, we've passed the $250 million mark on our plan to invest
$350 million in education from
2008-2017.
About Genesys Works
Genesys Works is a non-profit social enterprise changing the
trajectory of life for disadvantaged high school students through
meaningful work experiences. Its program consists of eight
weeks of technical and professional skills training, a paid
year-long corporate internship, college and career coaching, and
alumni support to and through college. Its goal is to move
more students out of poverty and into professional careers,
creating a more productive and diverse workforce in the
process. Since its founding in 2002, Genesys Works has grown
to serve nearly 3,000 students annually in Houston, Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Washington's National Capital
Region. To learn more, visit www.genesysworks.org.
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