More than 19,000 JCPS high school students were part of Academies career pathways this school year
On Thursday, local leaders in education, workforce, and business gathered at the Olmsted to recognize the positive impact made by the Academies of Louisville at JCPS.
“The incredible success of the Academies of Louisville would not be possible without the local companies and organizations who have made it their mission to provide our students valuable mentoring, training and employment opportunities,” said JCPS Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio. “This year, nearly 4,500 JCPS students graduated from the Academies with a pathway to a career thanks, in large part, to our partners.”
First adopted in 2017, the Academies of Louisville curriculum offers students more hands-on learning opportunities through career-themed pathways at fifteen public high schools in Jefferson County. The fifty-six career Academies include Health Sciences, Information Technology, Media Arts, Civil Service, Skilled Trades, and many others. Academy students graduate with college credit, industry certifications, real-world work experience, and a post-secondary plan, along with their high school diploma.
“High quality talent is a business’ most important resource, which is why the work that the JCPS Academies of Louisville and their supporting business partners do is critical to the long-term success of our regional economy,” said Sarah Davasher-Wisdom, president and CEO of Greater Louisville Inc. “GLI is proud to be a long-time supporter and partner of the Academies and we are looking forward to seeing this initiative grow a robust talent pipeline for our region. Thank you to every business partner that supports this program and helps develop our students for in-demand careers.”
More than 200 local companies are now partnering with the Academies of Louisville to offer job shadowing, industry tours, guest speakers, and more. KentuckianaWorks, the Louisville region’s workforce development board, and Greater Louisville Inc. (GLI), the Metro Chamber of Commerce, have helped lead efforts to integrate local businesses into the Academies of Louisville over the past seven years.
“The results of the Academies model can’t be ignored - postsecondary readiness and graduation rates are dramatically higher than they were in 2017, as just two examples,” said Michael Gritton, Executive Director of KentuckianaWorks. “The Academies are already having a transformational impact on students, but relatively few people know it. Part of what we’ll be doing is finding more effective ways to tell the story of the current success and future potential of the Academies of Louisville. We need to get the Louisville community strongly behind the Academies.”
Highlights from the 2023-24 school year include:
56 Academies offered 68 unique career pathways at 15 JCPS high schools. More than 19,000 students were part of the Academies this year.
78% of Academies seniors are projected to be postsecondary ready, up 4% from 2023. Three AofL schools - Fern Creek, PRP, and Southern – are expecting to see double-digit increases in their postsecondary readiness rates.
More than 10,000 AofL students (55%) participated in at least one experiential learning opportunity. These experiences include college visits, industry tours, job shadowing, and guest speaker events.
More than 1,700 students acquired an industry certification. 82 unique industry certification opportunities were offered at AofL high schools.
To learn more about the Academies of Louisville at JCPS, visit www.jefferson.kyschools.us/academies-louisville. You can find WHAS11’s coverage of the celebration event here.
