ASA-JAG Partnership
Richard Wahlquist of ASA and Ken Smith of JAG discuss their organizations’ partnership, the good work of JAG, and why ASA members should get involved.
JAG Formula for Success
JAG has a 39-year track record of assisting more than one million of the nation’s highest-risk young people across 1,300 communities in 35 states, with consistent and convincing results one year after leaving school.
JAG does this by delivering its 37-competency national employability skills curriculum in the classroom with career specialists who help students to master the skills necessary to both do well and excel on the job. Specialists continue engaging JAG students for a full 12 months after graduation to support students’ success on the job, in college, or a combination of both.
Results for the Class of 2018 (across the JAG national network)
- Graduation rate was 95.8%—highest in JAG history
- Positive outcomes rate was 91% (working, in college, or a combination of both—highest in JAG history)
- Employment rate was 65.4%—highest in JAG history
- Full-time jobs rate was 77%—highest in JAG history
- Full-time placement rate was 91% (combination of work or college alone or together equals a 40-hour weekly commitment of time)—Highest in JAG history
Results are consistent with those of the previous three decades. Learn more about JAG.
Learn more about the ASA–JAG partnership.
Get Involved: Make a Difference
There are plenty of ways for your company to get involved with JAG—and offer hands-on assistance to at-risk students in your local area. Here are just a few ideas on how to contribute:
- Classroom visits to share professional experiences
- Job readiness coaching (e.g., dressing for success, business etiquette skills)
- Mock interviews
- Résumé reviews
- Job shadowing
- Presentations on staffing as a career, and the staffing industry as a source of jobs
- Company office tours
- Judging local JAG student competitions (e.g., public speaking contests)
- Internships
- Hiring partnerships
- School supply donations
- Financial donations
JAG Locations
JAG is composed of 35 state organizations that support more than 1,300 program affiliates or classrooms.
View list of locations »
—JAG-Louisiana Student
—JAG-Ohio student
—JAG-South Carolina Student
“JAG has made me realize the definition of hard work. It’s made me realize that when you put 100% effort into everything you do, good outcomes will come…JAG is what unlocked that special part of my brain and made me realize that good things aren’t going to just come to me. If I want to pursue a successful future, the beginning of that road starts now.”
—JAG-Connecticut student
“I will be the first one to graduate high school and go to college. [JAG] helped me through a lot of things, like helping me to find a job. It’s helped me get better grades and better myself.”
—JAG-Kansas student
“As a small firm with limited financial resources to devote toward CSR efforts, we hope our [JAG] initiative will demonstrate that it’s entirely possible to effect considerable change when the investment is primarily time and personal commitment. An abundance of industry expertise and a sincere passion and desire to make a positive impact is all that’s needed.”
—Nicole Bieker, CSP, vice president, operations, Milliner & Associates
