MOSES LAKE — A group of students and local dignitaries gathered at Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center (CB Tech) Friday to witness the initiation and induction ceremony for the center’s Jobs for Washington’s Graduates (JWG) program.

CB Tech received a $30,000 start-up grant from AT&T to fuel the launch of the JWG program at skills center. Representatives from CB Tech, the Moses Lake School District and local government were on hand to recognize AT&T for its contribution and celebrate the starting of the program.

The JWG program mirrors the national Jobs for American Graduates (JAG) program by implementing online curriculum that is provided by JAG. According to the JAG website, the curriculum aims to “provide students with personal management skills and employability skills.” The program also strives to connect students with career and technical education to equip them with skills that can lead to postsecondary education, apprenticeships and living wage careers.

Thanks to the contribution by AT&T, CB Tech was able to get the JWG program off the ground for its first year this year. Bobi Spence serves as the program’s JWG specialist at CB Tech, mentoring students and facilitating the program. Spence offers support that includes helping students start their Free Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), providing field trip opportunities, checking in with students, monitoring their work and following them through their CB Tech experience.

Friday’s event drew about 50 people, including local dignitaries and a group of CB Tech students. Among those in attendance were community activist Dick Deane, MLSD board member Vicki Groff, district Superintendent Michelle Price, Moses Lake Mayor Todd Voth and state representative Tom Dent.

Spence said the school has 23 students enrolled in the JWG program – about 11 percent of its student body – so they are just starting to “plant the seed.” She said the JAG program is very effective, as it boasts an average graduation rate of 80 percent nationwide over its 36 years of existence. In Washington, Spence said 90 percent of JAG students graduated last year.

“JAG is about kids,” Spence said. “It’s not about adults. It’s not about me and it’s not about anybody else. It’s (about) what these children do and what they can do and will do with their lives.

“There is no other program across the nation that can guarantee that type of results.”

AT&T external affairs spokesman Carl Gipson spoke briefly, addressing the CB Tech students about the importance of education and always striving to learn more.

“You never stop learning, you never stop growing and never stop evolving, because when you do, you languish and you just kind of go away and you don’t have a livelihood,” Gipson said. “You really need to build into your character, build into your work ethic a love of learning.

“There is always knowledge out there to be gleaned and that’s something you should learn to love.”

CB Tech director Christine Armstrong closed the ceremony by detailing the importance of the connections provided to students at the skills center by the JAG program.

“There’s all kinds of research that says if a student has one person that believes in them on a daily basis when they come to school, if they have one person that they can connect with, that will keep them in school,” Armstrong said. “What JAG offers us is two people. Every one of these students has their pathway teacher and they also have Bobi Spence to help them get to reach their goals.”

For more information on Jobs for Washington Graduates, visit the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) online at www.k12.wa.us/CareerTechEd/JWG.