Jobs for Delaware Graduates (JDG) was designed in 1978 by five working groups in Delaware, drawn from business, educational, workforce, labor union, and community leadership. The purpose of the organization was to simultaneously address Delaware’s unemployment and dropout rates. Together, the public and private sector leaders of the state developed the model of Jobs for Delaware Graduates.

Our mission is to enable students to achieve academic, career, personal and social success.

More than 60,000 young people have participated in JDG programs since their inception, and more than 250 employers rely on Jobs for Delaware Graduates for producing enthusiastic, well-prepared, and effective employees.

An individual service strategy (ISS) is developed with each student, which aids her or him in setting personal, academic, and career goals that must be monitored throughout the program. Each high school participant receives:

• Assessments to determine skills and job career interests
• An approved career pathway that meets state graduation requirements
• An approved, structured cooperative work experience for eligible seniors (if available at high school)
• Course completion assistance to bring students up to grade level and begin post-secondary education/training/placement
• Remediation
• Job skill development
• Job shadowing experiences
• Part-time/full-time job placement
• Follow-up services for 12 months after 12th grade graduation
• School dropout prevention through early intervention and service delivery
• School dropout recovery (outreach) from referrals and contacts provided by school teachers, counselors, administrators, parents, and state and local agencies or authorities
• Priority status for students eligible under Workforce Investment Act (WIA) criteria to participate in subsidized summer employment experiences

Quick Facts 

What Am I Studying?

Coursework & College Credits

• Grade 9: Identify a Job
• Grade 10: Earn a Job
• Grade 11: Get a Job
• Grade 12: Keep a Job

Certificates

• Workplace Safety Certification
• Opportunity to take college classes for certification 

How am I involved?

• Delaware Career Association: Educational and career-based experiences with a focus on leadership, team work, community service, and social skills.
• Work-Based Learning Experiences: JDG has created partnerships with local businesses and companies in the community to afford students real-world work experiences. From internships with Christiana Care to assisting the Delaware ASPCA or working retail at Goodwill, we allow students to access the career path about which they are passionate to decide if it is truly or them. 
• Guest Speakers and Experiential Trips: We expose students to new career opportunities and usable life skills through guest speakers, job shadowing, leadership conferences, and skills-related trips.   

Where will it take me?

• JDG is designed to help student focus on their personal goals. It will help take you where you desire to go. YOU decide if that's college, the military, an apprenticeship, or entrepreneurship. We help you refine your goals and help you define your next steps.