First Generation College Student Program

Get In School. Get A Career. Get Going.

With that core message, the North East Texas Workforce Board has announced an initiative to focus on recruitment, advising, and academic preparation for individuals identified as “first generation” college students - youth who will be the first in their families to pursue and achieve a higher education through two and four year postsecondary institutions (e.g., colleges, universities, community colleges, and/or technical schools). “Our purpose is to outreach and encourage more first generation students early on, to present them information about their career opportunities and to provide the supportive structure necessary for them to succeed through high school and into post secondary education,” said Kay O’Dell, Executive Director of the North East Texas Workforce Board. “We provide services beyond the enrollment stage to keep students in school and help them achieve their goals of higher education.”

Planning efforts for the North East Texas First Generation College Student Initiative began in the fall of 2003. North East Texas Workforce Board, in collaboration with Northeast Texas Community College, Paris Junior College, Texarkana College, Texas A&M University-Texarkana, and Texarkana Independent School District established the First Generation College Student Educational Consortium to study the educational needs of youth in northeast Texas.

The Board Consortium identified several key demographic, socioeconomic and institutional characteristics that affect area youth and tend to lead to higher drop-out rates. Risk factors include: parents who are not high school graduates, low household income, low academic skills (though not necessarily low intelligence), English as a second language, living in a single-parent household, negative self-perceptions; alienation, boredom, low self-esteem, and non-education alternatives like work, children and early marriage.

To address specific needs of the area, the Board Consortium created the First Generation College Student Initiative. The goals of the initiative are to:

• increase the preparation of underachieving students for higher education opportunities
• increase collaborations between parents and school personnel in encouraging, mentoring, and supporting students to succeed in high school and pursue higher education
• increase career awareness, career exploration, and counseling services
• inform students about the professional opportunities available through higher education especially in high demand occupational areas like teaching and nursing
• increase college enrollment of minorities and economically disadvantaged students
• increase retention rates of college students

The North East Texas Workforce Board recently launched a media campaign targeting youth and encouraging students to take advantage of First Generation College Student Program opportunities. For more information about Program requirements, or to learn more about available career and employment-related solutions, contact your local North East Texas Workforce Centers or visit www.netxworkforce.org.