The Academy for Career Development
The Academy is both a Community Based Organization and Registered Business School licensed by the New York State Education Department (Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision). It is the only not-for-profit vocational school in Rochester that holds this status. The Academy’s educational programs are offered solely to individuals who are disabled, disadvantaged, or displaced. Its vocational programs prepare members of Rochester’s underserved populations with skills necessary to successfully participate in today’s information based economy. Academy curriculum not only provides strong academic content in technology and pre-workforce soft skills, but also links this content with real-world work experience through student internships and apprenticeships within Academy community service programs. We obtain applicants from Rochester’s underserved communities, train them for entry level positions in the Technical Support and Customer Service industries, and (through the work experience) are put to work delivering services back to the community from which they came. Apprentices from disadvantaged and disabled populations provide technical support services and become significant role models for the populations being served. The Apprenticeship support significantly reduces costs by providing a viable economic technical support solution for local non-profits. The overall employment rate for our graduates since June of 1999 is 82.5%, with an average starting salary of $10.68/hr. The following are the Academy’s main Community Service Programs:KidTech, CommuniTech, Good Grades Pay, HelpTech/HelpTechTeens, HelpTech AmeriCorps, PC Recycling, Assistive Technology Program, Click-On-Health, AbilityTech & AbilityTech Teens, and ArtsReach.
“The Academy For Career Development provides workforce educational opportunities for persons with disabilities, economically disadvantaged individuals, and displaced workers who wish to enter or reenter the workforce. To this end, The Academy creates optimized learning environments in which students’ progress from classroom based assisted learning, to self-directed learning, to a final demonstration of their ability to competently function in a contemporary workplace setting through work internships and apprenticeship programs. The ultimate goal of the student’s total educational experience, therefore, is to get and retain a job that pays a living wage”.
We are a non-denominational community service organization that practices the Christian Ethic of giving and sharing. We have focused our main mission in helping underserved populations learn how to help themselves through knowledge, experience, and community service.
