Carper Accepts Award with Delaware Leaders and Students at Jobs for America’s Graduates

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) joined Delaware leaders at the Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) 2019 Luncheon & National Leadership Awards ceremony. Senator Carper and state leaders, including state Senator and President of Jobs for Delaware Graduates (JDG) Nicole Poore, accepted the “First State of JAG Award” on behalf of the many Delaware leaders and students who have contributed to the program’s success.

“Every year, this event renews my confidence in our country when I get the chance to see and hear from the remarkable range of leaders and committed supporters who work so hard on behalf of America’s young people,” said Senator Carper. “You have made an investment of your time and your talent in one of America’s great success stories – and one that Delaware is especially proud to claim, since Delaware is not only the state that founded America but also the state that started Jobs for America’s Graduates. One of the things I focused on when I was governor of Delaware was trying to create a nurturing environment for job creation and preservation. More jobs were created in the eight years when I was governor than any eight-year period in the history of the state of Delaware. I did not create one of those jobs. Governors, Senators, Mayors, and Presidents always talk about the jobs they created. We do not create jobs. We help create that nurturing environment for job creation – that’s the key. A big part of that nurturing environment is workforce. Yesterday, nearly 160 million Americans went to work. At the same time 5 million jobs had nobody to fill them. We cannot afford to leave our children behind and we cannot afford to leave jobs going unfilled. The future leaders I have met through the JDG program in Delaware schools are gaining the necessary skills to fill the jobs of tomorrow and I cannot think of a more worthy cause to support. The magic behind JDG are the job specialists here today. You’re making a difference in the lives of so many. The most rewarding part of my job is that every day, I get to help people. We try to make sure that everybody has a chance to be successful, that everybody has a chance to get an education or to join the military. We want to make sure our children have the skills they need to be prepared to work. And that’s what JDG is all about. To the leaders here today who continue to support this program and who have given their life’s work and time to this program, thank you.”

“It was a proud moment for Jobs for Delaware Graduates (JDG) to receive the JAG First State Award,” said state Senator and President of JDG Nicole Poore. “Since 1978, JDG has worked side by side with over 83,000 students to overcome barriers to graduate from high school, pursuing post-secondary education and secure employment. Through partnerships with 23 high schools and 10 middle schools, it has been with the support of Senator Carper, our current board members, and the JDG staff that keeps our students motivated to select a career pathway that best suits their dreams. JDG is recognized, nationally, as the cornerstone of the JAG network. Founded in Delaware as a pilot, under the leadership of then Governor Pete du Pont, JAG has since grown into a national program serving over 1.4 million young people in 39 states. ‘JAG more than doubles the rate at which young people get jobs.’ To that end, we look forward to another 40 years of helping Delaware’s youth achieve academic, career, personal, and social success.”