Throughout the nation, too many students are graduating from high school unprepared for the real-life demands of the workplace and college. 

Consider data from a recent report:

• 40% of the nation’s high school graduates say they are inadequately prepared for the demands of employment and postsecondary education.
• 39% of recent graduates are unprepared for the expectations of entry-level jobs
• 50% of students entering higher education take at least one remedial course; nearly two in 10 entering students take three or more remedial courses.

(Source:  Achieve, Inc.)


In 2004, the Salem and Keizer Chambers of Commerce, the Salem-Keizer School District, and E3: Employers for Education Excellence partnered to create Ready to Learn – Ready to Work to help prepare our students for success.  Through work-based learning experiences ranging from job shadows and internships to workplace tours and classroom presentations, employers are helping to make lessons come alive in a way no teacher in a classroom can.  When students have access to the workplace, they learn first-hand how and why the things they study in school are connected to jobs, careers, and further education.  Students better understand the importance of workforce skills and attitudes and begin to develop a vision of their future.


Join other Salem-Keizer employers in helping local students become Ready to Learn – Ready to Work.