Career Exploration Program For A 21st Century Workforce Now Available To Students In The Denver Metro Area

Adams County Education Consortium, a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of relevant work-ready skills for all learner groups in Adams County, announced today the launch of this year's Experience 9 to 5 program.

The Experience 9 to 5 Program provides Denver metro area high school students a rare opportunity to get real-world work experience in the career fields of their choice, including agriculture, biotech, finance, health care, and technology. The organization hopes to fill up to 1,300 career opportunities in 2010. Last year, only 385 students in Adams County participated in the program.

"It's just a matter of people hearing about Experience 9 to 5 . Once the students understand what the program is all about, you can see their eyes light up," said Sandy Steiner, executive director of Adams County Education Consortium. "This is truly an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these students. In many cases the program can be the difference between discovering a rewarding career path or getting stuck in the system."

According to a recent report, by the year 2018 sixty-three percent of all jobs in the U.S. will require at least some post-secondary education.

"Today's jobs are clearly becoming more skill-rich and knowledge-driven," said Michele Warren, a Senior Vice President for UMB Bank Colorado. "The importance of high school students learning about respective professions at an early age cannot be overstated."

The Experience 9 to 5 career exploration program is a joint effort between ACEC and Learning for Life, and is now open to high school students in the entire Denver Metro Area. It provides up to 10 hours of access to professionals with real-world views into over 70 different occupations. The program for of this multi-industry career exploration, now in its third year, will be available October 4 through November 15.

The cost for each industry program is $10 for students in ACEC member districts Adams 12, Adams 50, District 27J, and District 31J. For students outside of the member districts, the cost is $20 for each program.

More information on the program can be found at http://www.adamscountyeducation.org/Experience-9-to-5.html

The Adams County Education Consortium is a sister organization of Adams County Economic Development (ACED), a private, nonprofit full service economic development organization serving Adams County, which is predicted to be the fastest growing county in Colorado over the next 20 years.

Adams County Economic Development, Inc.