For nearly eight years, Johnson & Johnson Shared Services has partnered with Notre Dame High School on several School-to-Career initiatives in an effort to prepare youth for successful entry into the workforce. The Bridge to Employment (BTE) partnership in Caguas, Puerto Rico hoped to build on the success of these initiatives and enrich programming for youth in at-risk circumstances.
Enrolling students from four area schools, the School-to-Career Learning Center at Notre Dame High School engaged more than 100 young people in programs aimed at enhancing students' personal and academic skills. The Center developed and implemented curricula that support student achievement in Spanish, Math, English, Science and Technology, while providing additional supports to foster character, leadership, self-esteem, motivation, responsibility, decision-making, community relations, and healthy family relations.
Students were also introduced to a wide range of career opportunities within the health care industry and gained important career-building skills, including resume preparation, and interviewing, research, and public speaking skills development. To strengthen the link between academic learning and the world of work, presentations by guest speakers, site visits to health facilities, and internships in various business fields were key components of the program. All students participated in internship rotations at three local Johnson & Johnson companies. In addition, students had the opportunity to learn word processing, database management, and digital presentation software.
