A core belief at CAST is that college and careers are not separate, but part of a purpose-filled journey where a student explores what he or she likes to learn while also trying on different jobs for size.
An apprenticeship is an old idea that has recently gained new attention as a way for young people – and adults – to learn while they earn.
Because we know that some students go straight to work because they have financial or other concerns, at CAST we see apprenticeships as a path where students can ensure they will continue to train and learn, while also earning a salary.
Apprenticeships also offer guaranteed wage increases as training is completed.
At CAST, we are committed to “walking the walk.” and doing what we ask our employer partners to do. We have been hiring high school interns since we opened our nonprofit doors, and we have some incredible success stories. (One of our very first interns, Jonathan Rodriguez, will intern at Adobe in New York this summer.) We now also hire our college alum as interns, and starting this year, with financial support from the national Catalyze challenge and our local partner, The 80\20 Foundation, we plan to hire 2 seniors who plan to go straight to work as one-year apprentices for CAST in the areas of data science and project management. You can see the listing for each apprenticeship here and here. We’re so grateful to the support of visionaries who believe in young people, and to the city of San Antonio’s Ready to Work team for their partnership.
Jeanne Russell
Executive Director
CAST Schools
