Wake Forest Career Readiness Academy

The Wake Forest Career Readiness Academy will not be held during the 2023-24 school year. This program is being revamped to provide enhancements and improvements that will better serve students’ current educational and vocational needs. 

The Wake Forest Career Readiness Academy began as an 8-month program for seniors in high school and or students who have finished high school in the previous two years.  The program was geared towards individuals looking to become career ready, offering more than 40 hours of soft-skill curriculum content, virtual/face to face career panels, leadership and career exploration opportunities, and support to develop a career plan from an assigned one-on-one mentor.

The program also offered an optional work-based learning experience (paid or unpaid) for students during the second half of the program. Students went through an interview process for any work-based learning experience.  Students that pursued a work-based learning experience accrued an additional mininum 60 program hours. 

The Career Readiness Academy taught many job readiness/soft skills (resume writing, interviewing, work place etiquette, etc.), industry specific information, leadership skills, and financial literacy skills. The ultimate goal of this type of program is to create well-rounded youth, providing the necessary career ready skills needed for their future. 

This program has been led by the Wake Forest Chamber Foundation in conjunction with community partners and volunteers. The Wake Forest Chamber Foundation was one of five recipients in the United States to receive a grant from the U.S Chamber of Commerce Foundation, which funded the 2019-20 inaugural class. There is no cost to students selected for the program.