The Third MYBC Learning Academy

Are your students ready for the 2014 GED?

Are they fully prepared for their educational pursuits beyond YouthBuild?

Do they have the credentials necessary to enter today’s evolving green building trades?

Staff from all eleven Massachusetts YouthBuild programs came together to address these questions, and more, at the most recent MYBC Learning Academy in New Bedford. It's the third time Massachusetts YouthBuild case management, construction, and education staff have come together with the goal of learning new and innovative ways to prepare their students to attain their GED and enter the workforce or go on to postsecondary institutions.  

Close to 60 staff members attended morning and afternoon workshops led by:

• MYBC staff, on steps made since the last Learning Academy to prepare for the 2014 GED, and a discussion of a potential statewide event that focuses on educational achievement

• Scott Emerick and Albert Kim from YouthBuild USA, on College/Career Readiness

• Hemant Patel from CleanEdison, on certifications in the areas of Solar PV, BPI and LEED for students
  

• Jeanne Edwards and Tom Benz from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Co., on the National Work Readiness Credential, and 2014 GED test prep materials

“The major purpose of this Learning Academy was to make staff aware of any new trends and materials that were available regarding the GED and industry-recognized credentials,” said MYBC Director Terry Moran, who organized the event. “We really wanted to concentrate on individual program components and how they fit into overall program improvement.”

Continuing improvement is necessary, since students entering the workforce and going on to postsecondary institutions now face higher standards for success, as evidenced by the growing need for fully credentialed professionals in the green building trades, a complete overhaul of the GED test due to complaints about its inability to prepare those taking it, and the emergence of a National Work Readiness Credential. Learning Academies are held to prepare staff to prepare students for the shift in qualifications they'll be facing in the future, and as long as they continue, our programs and our graduates will enjoy great success.

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