Ft Worth Times

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker hosted a celebration on April 20 for career-ready students at the Bob Bolen Public Safety Complex, where she announced a goal for the city’s 12 public school districts, per an article from the Fort Worth Report.

The publication reported that Parker wants the districts to increase career readiness by 10% next year, something she stressed is vital to North Texas’ second-largest city’s workforce.

“We need career paths so that each of you can make a high living wage, have a career path into the future and raise your families right here in Fort Worth,” Parker said at the event, according to the Fort Worth Report. “I want you to be an example moving forward.”

It was the pre-commencement speech the 166 high school seniors in attendance needed to hear before they transition into adulthood.

Citing the Texas Education Agency (TEA), the publication reported that Castleberry, Everman, Northwest, Hurst-Euless-Bedford, Aledo and Burleson districts each saw up to a 20% jump of seniors graduate with an industry-based certification.

The Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) graduated half of that percentage two years ago, the report said.

Parker, who’s in the midst of a reelection campaign, expressed confidence that the districts could achieve the goal.

According to a FWISD-issued press release, the event is called, “Where Achievement Begins: Mayor’s Celebration for Workforce-Ready Graduates,” which marked its second year as part of the mayor's Council on Education and Workforce Development.

The district said to be honored at the event, students must intern – paid or unpaid – at a Fort Worth-based company, have at least a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 and obtain a certification that will result in a job in addition to a recommendation from their career and technology (CTE) teacher.

“These requirements not only showcase the students’ dedication and hard work but also the support and guidance they receive from their teachers and the district,” the release said.