Students and networking

Last week I spent a lot of time with high school and college students. Some of that time was with student interns for my EdTech start-up — Cue Career . But then I got to see the NFTE! LA Finals. And Kelsey who won for Kinky Kaps, is from Hamilton High in LA, one of the the schools where I volunteer. NFTE is truly an amazing program. NFTE focuses their resources on serving under-resourced communities, with their programs geared towards middle-school and high-school students.

In an innovation economy, there are no traditional paths to success. To activate the entrepreneurial mindset in young people, NFTE’s Pathway begins with igniting the imagination and takes students through the journey of creating and refining an original business concept. Students are guided by NFTE’s expert entrepreneurial Teacher Corps, and supported by entrepreneurs and successful business people.

Students then take the stage in NFTE’s renowned business plan competition series, presenting to esteemed judges. Throughout the Pathway, students earn recognition of the skills and concepts they are mastering, ultimately having the opportunity to earn the first-ever industry-recognized credential to certify entrepreneurial mindset and startup skills.

And their numbers are amazing!! NFTE! alum earn 50% more than their peers. Bottom line is this program teaches students the all important soft skills. Watching them from the start of the semester to the end of the semester has been such a treat — it is so amazing to see how much they grow.

Last weekend we sent a Cue Career intern to the 500 Startups Diversity and Unity summit in NYC. She then did a wrap-up video where other students got to ask questions

The majority of people still land jobs by networking. We have to teach students from under-served communities how to network. NFTE! is a great starting point. Leading students to networking events also helps.