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Montana's Economy at a Glance ~ February 2018

Montana’s unemployment rate remained level at 4.1% for the month of February. The U.S. unemployment rate also remained at 4.1%. Continue Reading...

Student Research Foundation Personal Achievement College Scholarship

The Student Research Foundation has given away over one million dollars in college scholarships over the past 20 years nationwide. They offer high school students and their families up to $15,000 in college scholarship funds. The application takes 2-3 minutes to complete. You will be required to submit a short essay that describes a personal achievement story and how you overcame challenges to reach your goal. Include any impact on your local community your achievement helped benefit. The Student Research Foundation is a member organization of the National Scholarship Providers Association.Continue Reading...

The problem with only liking things we find relatable

The social media culture of “likes” is contributing to our conformity, says novelist and creative writing teacher Charmaine Craig. Instead of trying to empathize with the unfamiliar, we “like” and find refuge only in the things that seem most relatable. Craig offers her humble opinion on why we should move beyond what’s “relatable” or “likeable” and begin to open up to the unfamiliar.Continue Reading...

JMG Students Travel to Washington D.C.

Four JMG Students were selected to represent Montana at Jobs for America’s Graduates National Student Leadership Academy in Washington D.C. JMG State Director Erica Swanson, Montana Lieutenant Governor Mike Cooney, DLI Administrator Scott Eychner, and MSEC Chair Jen Kobza (HDR Inc) greet and congratulate the four JMG students selected. Aaron InfangerContinue Reading...

2017 JMG LEAD MT Conference Keynote Speaker - Cory Buckley

JMG Student Graduate Keynote Cory Buckley and his former JMG Career Specialist Yenta Jaques, provide students, teachers, and Table Captains (invited guests), a personal story of how JMG helped a student with multiple barriers overcome them. Cory Buckley graduated JMG and Paris Gibson Education Center (Great Falls, MT) in 2013. Continue Reading...

JAG Board of Directors Meeting Report

Jobs for America's Graduates report to the Board of Directors and Council of State Affiliates August-September 2017Continue Reading...

Montana 2017 Labor Day Report

Montana’s economy continues its prosperity in 2017, with growth in the western half of the state exceeding expectations. Our entrepreneurs continue to be among the best in the nation for new business startups and for the successful launch of businesses. Workers have experienced real wage growth faster than the national average over the last ten years, allowing families to achieve a higher standard of living.Continue Reading...

Governor & First Lady Youth Leadership Council

The Governor’s Office of Community Service (OCS) is pleased to announce that the application period for the 2017-2018 Governor and First Lady Youth Leadership Council is now open! Focused on combating childhood hunger in Montana, the GFLYLC selects up to 20 7th – 12th graders from across MT to plan and execute projects aimed at building awareness, raising money, and feeding kids in our state. Continue Reading...

USFS: Hiring Wildland Firefighter Apprentices

The apprenticeship program will develop the knowledge and basic skills necessary to work as a wildland firefighter. Apprentices will complete 3,000 hours of on-the-job training. They will also complete a residential firefighting academy at the Wildland Fire Training Center (link is external) in McClellan, California. Apprentices will be paid and all costs of training will be covered by the Forest Service. Upon successful completion of the program, apprentices will be in permanent GS-5 firefighter positions.Continue Reading...

Safe Online Surfing (SOS) Internet Challenge

What do more than 870,000 students across the nation have in common? Since 2012, they have all completed the FBI’s Safe Online Surfing (SOS) Internet Challenge. This initiative promotes cyber citizenship by teaching students in third through eighth grades how to recognize and respond to online dangers through a series of fun, interactive activities. Now entering its fifth season, the FBI-SOS program has seen increased participation each year. From September 2015 through May 2016, nearly a half-million students nationwide finished the activities and took the exam. We look forward to even more young people completing the program in the school year ahead. The challenge begins September 1. Continue Reading...

Polson High School Jobs for Montana’s Graduates Class Delivers Christmas Trees

Helping others in need was on the agenda for some Polson High School students this month. Students in Mark Rochin’s Jobs for Montana’s Graduates class delivered five Christmas trees to needy families last week. The class purchased the trees at a discount from PHS government teacher Bob Hislop’s tree farm, and three students and some staff members delivered them.Continue Reading...

GROWTH MINDSET TOOLKIT

In 1978, Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck made a profound discovery--children who believed their intelligence could grow did better in school, and better in life. She called this basic belief about intelligence "mindset." In 2016, Carol Dweck's lab at Stanford, PERTS, partnered with ClassDojo to bring the Mindset lesson to classrooms through a five episode video series....Continue Reading...

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) - Youth Program

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title IB Youth Program provides services to in-school youth ages 14-21 and out-of-school youth ages 16-24. The main thrust of the Youth Program is to increase the focus on career pathways, longer-term academic, and occupational learning opportunities and provide long-term comprehensive service strategies. Youth services are provided to in-school or out-of-school youth ages 14-24. The Youth Program is designed to prepare Montana’s youth to either enter post-secondary education, training or employment upon completion of their secondary education.Continue Reading...

Jobs for Montana’s Graduates Students Flourish after Graduation

Three previous Culbertson High School Jobs For Montana's Graduates students, now graduated young adults, are following their passions early in their adulthood by using vital tools they learned how to use from being active JMG students in their high school careerContinue Reading...

Cody Boster Credits PAL for Helping Him Graduate

Project for Alternative Learning has been more than a good fit for Cody Boster, who graduates from PAL on Friday. It’s been a life-changing experience.One of the highlights of his 2½ years at PAL was a Jobs for Montana Graduates trip to Missoula, when they toured the UM campus and attended the JMG convention.Continue Reading...

Bring the Real World to Your Classroom with Nepris Virtual Guest Speakers

Nepris virtually connects professionals with classrooms to bring real-world application to your daily lesson plans. Each professional is providing a virtual talk on a specific date and time that is available for teachers for free! View their virtual talks from professionals from top engineers, scientists, authors, Nobel Peace Prize Winners, CEO's, and entrepreneurs from across the country with companies like Samsung, Disney, Expedia, Monsanto, and more! Continue Reading...

U.S. Department of Labor Soft Skills Curriculum

Soft Skills to Pay the Billswas developed by the Office of Disability Employment Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor to help teach youth important soft skills and workforce readiness skills. It was created for youth development professionals as an introduction to workplace interpersonal and professional skills, targeting youth ages 14 to 21. It is a modular, hands-on curriculum with engaging activities and fun games that focus on six key skill areas: Communication, Enthusiasm & Attitude, Teamwork, Networking, Problem Solving & Critical Thinking, and Professionalism. Continue Reading...

Job Skills Conference Brings Hundreds of Students to Billings

About 300 high school students from around the state gathered in Billings on Wednesday and Thursday for the Jobs for Montana Graduates IGNITE Conference. Students learned about an array of careers and competed in competitive events over two days at the Radisson Hotel, formerly the Holiday Inn Grand.Continue Reading...

Art Competing for a Cause - Grizz Biz

Grizz Biz, North Middle School in Great Falls, will once again be involved with Art Competing for a Cause during the CM Russel Art Week. They will have a large Coat Rack and Shelf available as well as Corn Hole Games, Cutting Boards and Coasters Custom that have been laser engraved for the event.Continue Reading...

Montana Teens in Culbertson Working Toward Ownit

In the technological world we currently live in, the Internet can be a good place or a bad place. The bad side can be anything from clicking a questionable link that creates a virus on your computer to cyber bullying.Continue Reading...

In Bridger, students help other students

When the 205 students attending Bridger Public Schools lean into a service project, the entire community — even people as far away as Billings — benefitContinue Reading...

JMG Receives National Accreditation

Jobs for Montana’s Graduates gets high marks during the Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) National Accreditation Review. The National Accreditation Process evaluates a state’s progress in implementing and/or maintaining the JAG Model.Continue Reading...

Riverside Middle School JMG in the News

The JMG program at Riverside Middle School in Billings is highlighted in the Billings GazetteContinue Reading...

JMG Graduate Gets Connected

Last summer while Cory Buckley was completing an internship with Kinross, Inc. in Fairbanks, Alaska, he met a few Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) technicians and watched them work. In his words he, "liked the looks of what they were doing," so this year he interviewed with Tractor and Equipment Company, and before he knew it, the company accepted him to work at the CAT Rental Store. See Cory's story on page 6 of the Northern Network News and check his profile in the Student section of this Website.Continue Reading...

Governor Steve Bullock Announces $1 Milllion Grant for Montana Schools

At a celebration at Great Falls High School on September 1, 2015, Governor Steve Bullock announced that Montana received a $1 million grant from USA Funds to support college and career readiness programs in high schools, colleges, and tribal colleges.Continue Reading...

Riverside Student Representing Montana

On Thursday, the Riverside Middle School eighth-grader was honored for his work in a program designed to help him reach his goals. He was announced as one of just 31 students nationwide Continue Reading...