RICHMOND — The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and Virginia’s Community Colleges (VCCS) will collaborate to implement or expand Career Coach programs in 35 Virginia high schools participating in the GEAR UP program. GEAR UP, an acronym for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, is a federal grant program designed to assist a cohort of 5,290 students from low-income families to attend and succeed in college.
This innovative partnership will introduce 10 new Career Coach programs and expand services to GEAR UP students in 25 schools with existing programs. The career coaches, who are community college employees, will be placed in participating GEAR UP high schools to help students make informed decisions about their career plans. Funding for the services will be drawn from the GEAR UP Virginia program budget and the VCCS.
GEAR UP students will benefit from specialized career coaching services, including classroom coaching sessions, one-on-one meetings, and small group advising. These sessions will be dedicated to career exploration and planning, as well as mentoring by employers and college personnel and students. Additionally, parents of GEAR UP students will be invited to attend information sessions led by the career coaches and high school GEAR UP coordinators.
“We at SCHEV are pleased to draw upon our shared mission with the VCCS to help students successfully continue their education beyond high school,” said Dr. Daniel J. LaVista, SCHEV’s Executive Director. “Virginia’s GEAR UP program has been reaching out to students from low-income families since 2000. The Career Coach partnership is another valuable tool to help Virginians achieve their educational goals.”
“We are proud to be part of this partnership,” said Dr. Glenn DuBois, chancellor of Virginia’s Community Colleges. “Leaders throughout our community colleges and SCHEV, and parents across the commonwealth, understand that the 12th grade is no longer the finish line for students today. To lead a successful and independent life our children need to earn postsecondary credentials. And this partnership is great news for GEAR UP students who, through the work of career coaches, will have a greater awareness of the opportunities they can pursue.”
VCCS began the Career Coaches program in 2005 with 11 coaches based at 13 high schools. Today, more than 90 career coaches serve students in more than 130 high schools throughout Virginia. Through an innovative model of student engagement, career coaching helps students to navigate complex decision making; generate new ideas about self, education, and career choice; and connect with higher education and business and industry. Career coaches also assist with college applications, placement testing, and financial aid.
SCHEV is the Commonwealth’s coordinating body for Virginia’s system of higher education. The agency provides policy guidance and budget recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly, and is a resource for information on Virginia colleges and universities on higher education issues. SCHEV received a federal GEAR UP grant in 2000 and again in 2006 to work with an entire grade level of students attending participating schools to provide tutoring, mentoring, and information on college preparation and financial aid. For additional information, please visit the agency’s web site at www.schev.edu or www.gearupva.com.
Virginia’s Community Colleges, created more than 40 years ago, consists of 23 community colleges located on 40 campuses across the commonwealth. Together, Virginia’s Community Colleges serve more than a quarter-million credit students each year. For more information, please visit myfuture.vccs.edu. For more information on the VCCS Career Coaches program, contact program director Elizabeth Creamer at 804-819-4691, or visit www.myfuture.vccs.edu/careercoaches.
Pictured above: SCHEV Executive Director Dan LaVista (center, left) and VCCS Chancellor Glenn DuBois (center, right) hold a news conference to announce a partnership that will expand the Career Coach program to more high schools in Virginia.
For more information, contact Kirsten Nelson, Director of Communications & Government Relations at KirstenNelson@schev.edu or 804-225-2627.
For more information, contact Jeff Kraus, VCCS Assistant Vice Chancellor for Public Relations at jkraus@vcccs.edu or 804-819-4949.
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