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Great Jobs KC pitches tuition‑support partnership for incoming seniors and adult training
Summary
Great Jobs KC representatives told the board they will use a Patterson Foundation grant to fund short‑term career training for incoming Dodge City High School seniors enrolled in Excel in CTE programs and will later expand to adults with wraparound services; an August orientation and an email contact were announced.
Representatives from Great Jobs KC presented a program update to the board, describing a local rollout that will initially support high‑school students enrolled in Excel in CTE programs and later provide tuition support and wraparound services to eligible adults.
"I am George Hudson. I serve as a director of education partnerships with Great Jobs," Hudson said, introducing the organization's role and local plans. He said the Patterson Foundation grant allowed Great Jobs to expand into Ford County and to lean on local partners such as DC3 (Dot City Community College) and the Dodge City Development Corporation.
Hudson described the program's goal: tuition‑free short‑term training and job placement assistance aimed at helping residents secure family‑sustaining work. He framed a target "gold collar" wage of roughly $45,000 as a program benchmark for graduates of these pathways.
Dee Burns, senior manager of missions, and Mariana Landa, scholar advocate, explained that the program will initially cover ancillary costs for dual‑enrollment CTE students—items such as PPE, uniforms and books—and that adults will later be eligible for tuition support and individualized supports. "All of the seniors are eligible for Great Jobs support and funding," Hudson said when describing the initial cohort, with staff clarifying that this means next year's seniors who will enroll in dual‑credit CTE pathways.
The presenters emphasized employer partnerships and local training partners. "We're not the trainer. We're the supporter," Hudson said, describing Great Jobs' model of funding and coordinating with training providers like DC3. Mariana Landa will work one‑on‑one with scholars to navigate academic and personal barriers, and the presenters said they will offer workshops on life skills, resumes and interviewing.
Board members asked whether the support would apply to general dual‑enrollment courses; Hudson and Landa clarified the program is limited to Excel in CTE programs approved by the state and will not fund general education dual‑enrollment.
Presenters provided an email for follow‑up questions and outreach: ford.countygreatjobskc.org, and said they will hold a large orientation in August during the school's dual‑enrollment orientation.
The board received the informational presentation; no funding vote was requested at the meeting.
Provenance: presentation and Q&A occurred between SEG 492 and SEG 912 and followup clarifications ran to SEG 973.
