The W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research highlighted the 20th anniversary of the Kalamazoo Promise and a new career education center during a panel Wednesday.
The event took place at the Career Connect Campus. Starting in September, the facility will host career training programs for Kalamazoo students, preparing them for careers ranging from welding to veterinary medicine.
Upjohn Institute President Michael Horrigan said the new facility will give students an important opportunity to develop industry credentials.
“A lot of these students will get experience in a trade, but then also the hope is that there will be jobs available. Good jobs, good paying jobs that will be that are in demand in this area that will be contributing to creating a skilled workforce for the future.”
The Kalamazoo Promise also took the spotlight during the panel, with it celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
The tuition assistance program has put over $200 Million towards paying the college tuition of Kalamazoo Public School graduates since it began.
Despite this, KPS’ graduation rates remain lower than the state average according to Bridge Michigan.
But Promise CEO Von Washington said the scholarship program can’t fix this issue on its own.
“If a student was challenged the day before graduation, they're probably going to have challenges the day after. So, it really is going to be a community push, a community set of opportunities and services and mentorship to help students realize that.”
Washington added that part of this trend lies in a belief among some students that they cannot succeed in higher education.
"We've got a lot of work to do with people's overall feeling and impression of what they can do to be successful and that starts with our public schools."
Michael Symonds reports for WMUK through the Report for America national service program.
