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Michael Joe Murphy Orlando Sentinel http://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/os-ed-how-to-earn-80k-straight-out-of-high-school-the-interview-20170705-story.html In May, the unemployment rate in Orlando was 3.6 percent, with vacancies for skilled people in professional services, construction and transportation. Does Central Florida have the talent to fill those jobs? To learn more about training opportunities in high school and beyond, the Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board sought out […]

Opportunity Jobs Academy was highlighted by Mayor Buddy Dyer in his State of the City address on Friday, July 21. Watch the whole speech below, or fast forward to 20:00 to hear about all of the economic development projects taking place in Orlando, including OJA at 22:20.      

The Economist Lexington https://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21724850-it-striking-how-often-self-made-americans-have-stories-tell-about-boring-summer THE first time that Ronald Reagan appeared on a newspaper front page was as a teenage lifeguard, hailed for saving a drowning man from a fast-flowing river. The future president was not yet “Ronnie”, America’s reassuring, twinkling, optimist-in-chief. He was still “Dutch”, to use his childhood nickname: a slim, bespectacled youth, […]

Deon Price The Daily Republic https://www.dailyrepublic.com/opinion/local-opinion-columnists/are-youth-prepared-for-todays-job-market/ Last week I facilitated an employment development training for high schoolers and recent graduates. There were visits from city officials and representatives from a variety of career fields. Students were exposed to various career opportunities from the medical field, hotel management, construction and many more. The presentations were very […]

Most used to work in July and August. Now the vast majority don’t. Are they being lazy, or strategic? Derek Thompson The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/06/disappearance-of-the-summer-job/529824/ The summer job is considered a rite of passage for the American Teenager. It is a time when tossing newspaper bundles and bussing restaurant tables acts as a rehearsal for weightier […]

Katie Johnston Boston Globe https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2017/05/21/boost-for-teen-employment/l3YGQ8qaQw01SeDOrOnNOM/story.html Internships aren’t just about filing papers and making copies anymore. Today, students need technical skills, such as the ability to create Excel spreadsheets, to get in the door at many companies. In an attempt to help more teens get the experience they need to enter the workforce, the financial services firm […]

How Opportunity Jobs Academy Launches Careers Want to learn about the impact we're having on high school youth? Check out this short video that highlights OJA students and mentors! https://www.gofundme.com/opportunityjobsacademy Posted by Opportunity Jobs Academy on Friday, May 19, 2017

Mike Maciag Governing http://www.governing.com/topics/mgmt/gov-youth-employment-recovery.html Only half of 16- to 24-year-olds had a job last year, and youth employment has rebounded in just a handful of states. Is the recession all to blame? Job growth has picked up in recent years, but there’s one segment of the workforce that particularly isn’t recovering as well as others: […]

Check out some student testimonials about OJA! We are embarking on a fundraising campaign to bring Opportunity Jobs Academy back to Edgewater! Former OJA Student Discusses #opportunity4edgewater Posted by Opportunity Jobs Academy on Monday, April 10, 2017   Former OJA Student Discusses #opportunity4edgewater Hear from one of our past students about what she learned from […]

Holly Hatcher College Park Community Paper It started with a simple dinner conversation 10 years ago at K Restaurant on Edgewater Drive. Orlando firefighter Brad Jones approached renowned K Chef/Owner Kevin Fonzo with a dream of starting an integrated food and nutrition class at Orlando Junior Academy (OJA), his daughter’s nearby private school. That simple […]