High Schools Students Gain Experience through Career Ready Tempe

Career Ready Tempe Graduation; Photo by Arianna Grainey

Career Ready Tempe is a youth-workforce pilot program, funded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Career Readiness Lab Grant and the City of Tempe’s Innovation Fund. The program aims to prepare Tempe youth to participate in the future workforce and to develop the youth-talent pipeline in the City of Tempe so that it aligns with industry needs.

This year, 19 students from the Tempe Union and Kyrene high school districts were placed into paid internships at local businesses to work on real projects. Returning businesses include Vestar (Tempe Marketplace), FABRIC Laura’s Gourmet, Printing Specialists and Mathnasium Tempe. Alla Herbs and R Spa & Wellness Center were two new host sites, both of which were recipients of the BIPOC Micro-Manufacturing Grant that the City of Tempe and the Tempe Chamber of Commerce partnered on heading into 2023.

Other notable host sites include Landings Credit Union and NMG Aerospace that have both elected to employ interns who have previously participated in the program. Two interns had the opportunity to work with the City of Tempe in the economic development and community arts departments.

Rio Salado College hosted the graduation ceremony for the program participants on July 31st. Vice Mayor Doreen Garlid and Councilmember and Tempe Union High School District Governing Board Member Berdetta Hodge were in attendance to show their support of the Career Ready Tempe program and its collaborators. Attendees heard from a mixed panel of participants from both the student and business side led by moderator April Kroner, deputy director of economic development for the City of Tempe. Participants included Jonathan Yee, general manager of Tempe Marketplace; Adrianne Rexius, chief human resource officer of Landings Credit Union; Ava Arteaga, student intern at City of Tempe Community Arts; and Mathea Molloy, student intern at NMG Aerospace.