BridgeYear

A strong career pathway gives young people more than a way into the workforce. It gives them room to keep building. 🚗

That message came through at this week’s Automotive Apprenticeship Celebration, where Mike Brennan, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President at Gulf States Toyota and BridgeYear Board Member, reflected on the career growth available within the automotive industry.

For 11 BridgeYear students, that growth now begins through two-year paid apprenticeships at local Toyota dealerships while they continue their education at Houston City College. The apprenticeship pathway, developed by BridgeYear, Gulf States Toyota, and The Friedkin Group, gives students an opportunity to build technical skills and real-world experience at the same time.

As their careers progress, apprentices can pursue nationally recognized ASE certifications, develop expertise in high-demand areas like diagnostics and advanced vehicle technology, and grow toward master technician, leadership, and other roles across the industry.

Thank you to Mike for continuing to champion opportunities that help young people enter the workforce with a pathway for continued growth. 💙

A new career chapter is beginning for Justin! ⚡🎓

After completing electrician training at Texas Technical Trade School, Justin received a job offer from Hays Electrical, turning the skills he developed during training into a real workforce opportunity.

BridgeYear supported Justin as he navigated challenges getting into training and continued alongside him through graduation. That support will carry into his first months on the job through regular check-ins with his BridgeYear Advisor.

And Justin is still building toward an even bigger goal. While gaining hands-on electrical experience, he plans to study architecture at the University of Houston, connecting the work he’s doing today with the buildings he hopes to design in the future. 💙

Since 2023, Memorial Hermann has partnered with BridgeYear to bring our Surgical Technologist Career Test Drive® simulation to Houston students. 💙🩺

Through this hands-on experience, students step into the role of a Surgical Technologist and explore what it takes to prepare an operating room for surgery. They practice maintaining a sterile field, organizing surgical instruments and making sure everything is in place before a procedure begins.

Together, BridgeYear and Memorial Hermann have introduced more than 10,500 Houston students to this healthcare career and the pathway to pursue it, giving young people an opportunity to experience a critical role in the operating room before deciding what comes next.

Thank you, Memorial Hermann, for helping make hands-on career exploration possible and investing in the next generation of Houston’s healthcare workforce!

This week, we celebrated 11 BridgeYear students as the second cohort to begin two-year, paid automotive apprenticeships at local Toyota dealerships, where they’ll gain hands-on experience while continuing their education through Houston City College. 🚗🎓

For these students, that means earning a paycheck while continuing their education, with hands-on experience alongside automotive professionals built into the journey. For participating dealerships, it means developing emerging technicians on the job and building a talent pipeline that responds directly to their workforce needs.

BridgeYear helped prepare students for this transition and will continue supporting their journey over the next two years through three covered ASE professional exams, ongoing Advisor support, Apprentice Connections, and wraparound resources.

Thank you to Gulf States Toyota, The Friedkin Group, Houston City College, participating Toyota dealerships, and professional mentors for helping build a pathway that gives students a supported entry into the automotive industry while giving employers a direct role in developing the technicians their workforce needs.

Seven students started their CNA training, and all seven completed it! 🎓💙

With support from BridgeYear, Memorial Assistance Ministries (MAM), and The Academy of Exceptional Healthcare Training, these graduates are now one step closer to beginning careers in healthcare.

Through BridgeYear’s Career Cohort Program, students received career-readiness coaching and ongoing support, with scholarships from MAM and hands-on CNA training from The Academy of Exceptional Healthcare Training.

As Houston continues to need skilled healthcare talent, short-term pathways like CNA training can give young people an accessible way to build the skills needed for essential roles. Over the next six months, BridgeYear will continue supporting these graduates as they transition from training into the workforce.

Congratulations to our newest CNA graduates and everyone who helped them reach this milestone! 🎉👏

Before our Career Exploration Leaders step into a gymnasium, they get a little practice of their own!

This week during CEL Training, local corporate workforce leaders observed mock Career Test Drive® simulations and provided our CELs with direct feedback on their facilitation, realism, and industry accuracy.

That employer perspective is increasingly important. The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce projects that 72% of jobs will require postsecondary education and/or technical training by 2031, while survey data from the Walton Family Foundation and Gallup found that more than half of Gen Z feels school is not teaching them skills relevant to the careers they want.

By bringing industry professionals into the training process, BridgeYear helps connect those two realities, giving our CELs the insight they need to introduce students to careers in a way that reflects the real world of work.

Thank you to Bank of America, Mustang CAT, Breakthrough Houston, and Texas Mutual Insurance for sharing their time and expertise with our team!

https://nextgeninsights.waltonfamilyfoundation.org/resources/wff-and-gallup-gen-z-panel/
https://cew.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/Projections2031-National-Report.pdf

BridgeYear kicked off the 2026–27 Career Test Drive® Fair season in Sunnyside, bringing hands-on career exploration directly to over 30 local students and families! 💙

By bringing our interactive simulations right into the neighborhood, we’re bridging the career awareness gap and ensuring high-growth trade and technical pathways are more accessible to youth across Houston.

Sunnyside is only the beginning. As Career Test Drive® Fairs return to middle and high schools across Greater Houston this fall, BridgeYear is proud to work alongside school districts, community organizations, and regional employers to bring hands-on career exploration to thousands of students and help them make more informed decisions about their futures.

Here’s to another year of expanding access, building confidence, and preparing Houston’s future workforce! 🙌

Labor Day is a celebration of the people whose skills and hard work keep our communities moving. 💙

At BridgeYear, we’re also looking ahead to the young people who will become Houston’s next generation of skilled workers. Through hands-on career exploration, Career Cohorts, work-readiness preparation, and connections to training and employers, we’re helping students discover meaningful careers and take real steps toward entering the workforce.

Preparing Houston’s future workforce starts with giving young people the opportunity to see what’s possible today.

Happy Labor Day from BridgeYear! 🛠️

NOW HIRING Part-Time Career Exploration Leader (CEL) Associates 📣

Are you passionate about mentoring youth and making a direct impact in Houston schools? BridgeYear is hiring CEL Associates for the 2026–27 school year!

CELs are the face of our Career Test Drive® Fairs, facilitating interactive simulations and guiding Houston students as they discover high-growth trade and technical careers.

Why join BridgeYear?
• $17/hour starting pay
• Build leadership and professional skills
• Make a meaningful impact on students
• Opportunities to transition from part-time to full-time
• Travel throughout Greater Houston (reliable transportation required)

Know someone who would be a great fit? Share this opportunity with them!
Send your resume and a note of interest to Geraldine at [email protected] with the subject line: “BridgeYear LinkedIn Network”.

🔗 Learn more & apply here: https://lnkd.in/g8hyT8pU

CenterPoint Energy is helping Houston students discover careers that keep our communities running.

Through support of BridgeYear’s Pipefitter Career Test Drive® simulation, over 5,300 students have stepped into the role of a pipefitter and experienced the work firsthand. They practice assembling a gas meter system, following safety procedures, and troubleshooting while learning about the critical role pipefitters play in building and maintaining the systems that carry resources like natural gas and the pathways that lead to rewarding, in-demand careers.

Thank you, CenterPoint Energy, for inspiring the next generation of skilled trades professionals and investing in Houston’s future! 💙⚡