Foundation Announces Gift for Graduates Across the Nation

Career Resources to Help High School and College Grads Launch Their Careers

KANSAS CITY, MO — The DeBruce Foundation today announced a graduation gift for every student in the Class of 2022. The Graduation Toolkit is a collection of online career tools to help graduates identify their work skills, explore job opportunities, and make a plan for their future. 

After piloting the Graduation Toolkit regionally in 2020 and 2021, The Foundation received affirmation they should continue: “The tools in the Graduation Toolkit helped me prepare to land my job after graduation,” said Alex Oleson, Class of 2021. “And they’re helping me build the career I want.” 

The Foundation has enhanced the tools since last year and is now going national, sharing the toolkit with high school and college graduates throughout the US. 

“At The DeBruce Foundation, we care about helping people thrive in the workforce. Graduates have completed a major milestone in their career journey, and they deserve to be celebrated and supported,” said Dr. Leigh Anne Taylor Knight, Executive Director and COO of The DeBruce Foundation. “We’re sharing our career literacy resources to help equip young people to build successful careers and bright futures.” 

The Graduation Toolkit features online career literacy resources developed by The DeBruce Foundation’s team of researchers, educators, entrepreneurs, and business leaders, and are based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Agile Work Profiler, a career assessment in the Toolkit, has already been used by more than 42,000 individuals. 

“The Graduation Toolkit will provide awareness, said Robin Allen, Project Coordinator for Metropolitan Community College. “It will help graduates expand their knowledge of careers and empower them to start where they are and go anywhere.”

A research study of 700 youth and 300 adults, commissioned by The DeBruce Foundation in 2021, indicates there is a tremendous opportunity to impact youth who have yet to decide on a career path or don’t know where to start. The research found that while 90% of youth are confident they will achieve their career goals, only 63% reported knowing what things to do to prepare for a career, and only 35% of youth know what career they want. In addition, 67% of youth have considered 2 or fewer careers, despite national trends that show they will hold an average of 12 different jobs throughout their working life. 

With the Graduation Toolkit, The DeBruce Foundation aims to help young people explore their career options, determine where their skills are needed and valued in today’s workforce, and kick off a successful career. 

To deliver this gift to high school and college graduates, The Foundation is partnering with educational institutions across the country and launching a public awareness campaign. Join in to celebrate and support the grads in your life by sharing the Graduation Toolkit. 

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About The DeBruce Foundation

The DeBruce Foundation is a national foundation whose mission is to expand pathways to economic growth and opportunity. The Foundation is committed to helping individuals unlock their potential and find career pathways. By developing solutions such as the Agile Work Profiler, we change how people pursue careers. By partnering strategically, we increase experiences and exposure to widen career opportunities, starting with youth and working across the lifespan. Learn more at www.DeBruce.org.