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Bridge to Employment (BTE), a Johnson & Johnson program to help prepare high school students for rewarding careers, is coming to the Warsaw, Indiana community. BTE has been conducted at many J&J sites worldwide, and this year, is launching in cooperation with DePuy Synthes. The OrthoWorx team received a grant to conduct strategic planning for the three-year program. A cohort of 50 freshman students will be selected before the end of the ’20-’21 school year, and the program will launch in August 2021. OrthoWorx is applying for an additional $90,000 grant to administer the program.
BTE will offer experiences such as facility tours, career awareness events and one-to-one mentoring from DePuy Synthes Warsaw employees. Participating students will also have the opportunity to attend global conferences, tour college campuses and complete volunteer projects, while exploring careers around STEM2D (an acronym for science, technology, engineering, mathematics, manufacturing and design).
The BTE program draws on a collaborative effort between schools, employers, parents and community groups to provide a diverse population of students with academic enrichment, career exploration and higher education preparation. The Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies have funded more than 60 local sites in communities worldwide through this long-standing program.
“We are excited that this outstanding program is now coming to Warsaw and we see this as a way DePuy Synthes and our employees can continue to contribute to the success and vitality of the community,” said Andrew Ekdahl, World Wide President, Joint Reconstruction, Medical Business Services, Inc. “We’re also excited to collaborate with a variety of organizations for implementation, including OrthoWorx, Warsaw Community Schools, Grace College, Ivy Tech Community College Warsaw Campus and Purdue Fort Wayne.”
