Bridge to Employment

In 1992, Johnson & Johnson Corporation launched the Bridge to Employment initiative (BTE) in an effort to support education by communicating to at-risk students that learning can be meaningful‚ engaging‚ and relevant. BTE helps young people build solid futures by introducing them to a broad array of careers in health care and providing them with real world experiences. In the summer of 2003‚ the National Institute for Work and Learning (NIWL) was selected by Johnson & Johnson to become a partner in the management and evolution of the BTE initiative.

BTE sites are located in some of the most economically disadvantaged communities in the U.S, Europe, Asia, South Africa, and South America. While each site is unique in its structure and implementation‚ BTE program excellence stems from use of a common core of school-to-career principles. These include promoting high standards of learning for all students‚ providing opportunities for contextual learning‚ and connecting students with adults in the workplace.

NIWL helps the BTE program:

• Build long-term partnerships among business‚ educators‚ community groups‚ and parents to have a meaningful impact on students’ future success in the workplace;
• Prepare at-risk young people to meet the challenges and requirements of the health care industry and today’s complex society;
• Reinforce parental involvement as a valuable link between young people and their schools; and
• Recognize and advance community efforts in locations that are exemplary in helping young people to begin building careers.

To assist BTE in accomplishing its goals, NIWL hosts an annual Alliance Building & Training Session to encourage cross-site communication‚ learning‚ and knowledge building. In addition to this annual event‚ each site receives technical assistance on a variety of topics‚ including mentoring‚ work-based learning‚ and classroom curricula throughout the year. In 2004‚ NIWL designed and launched the BTE website‚ which is regularly updated with new project information. Additionally, NIWL oversees the BTE program evaluation efforts and has compiled a "lessons learned" report that identifies the factors that account for school-business partnership success.

For more information on the BTE initiative‚ visit the BTE website at http://www.bridge2employment.org