Yesterday, we celebrated an exciting milestone: the graduation of the first cohort of our Workforce Job Readiness Academy at our Transitional Age Youth (TAY) Center.

Over the course of 12 weeks, participants worked to develop the skills, confidence, and knowledge needed to take the next steps toward employment and greater stability. The Academy covered job readiness, life skills, financial literacy, and employment exploration — practical tools designed to help young people prepare not just for their next job, but for the opportunities ahead.

We could not be more proud of this first group of graduates.

Each participant came into the Academy with their own experiences, challenges, and goals. Despite the obstacles they faced, they continued to show up, put in the work, and support one another along the way.

And that hard work is already paying off: every graduate either has a job lined up or is currently in the interview process. 

That in itself is AN AMAZING ACCOMPLISHMENT.

A special thank you goes to Denise Moody, who led the classes and helped guide our participants throughout the program, Terrell Henderson, as well as the entire TAY staff for the encouragement, care, and support they provided along the way.

We are also grateful to the partners and sponsors who invested in this program and in the young people we serve, particularly BMO for its financial support.

This first graduating class is a reminder of what can happen when people come together around a shared goal. When young people have access to the right resources, practical skills, encouragement, and opportunity, they can take meaningful steps toward the futures they want to build.

Congratulations to our first Workforce Job Readiness Academy graduates. We are proud of how far you have come — and excited to see where you go next.