Closing the loop

Any time we visit my home country, it doesn’t take me long to get reminded how far ahead France is compared to the US when it comes to vocational training. My nephew, like my brother was growing up, is not thriving in the traditional school system and does not have much interest in academics. Fortunately, in France, even before kids decide whether to go to high school, they can take a gap year to conduct internships to help them uncover industries that might be a fit for them.

As the son of an entrepreneur, my 14-year old nephew has already had plenty of exposure to the world of work. He knows what it’s like to have to show up on time, operate as part of a team, and work hard, including the effort of manual labor in the summer heat when the greenhouses reach well above 100 degrees.

I am not disputing the importance of classroom education. But I firmly believe that it is becoming increasingly critical for kids to be exposed to a wide variety of careers in a meaningful way, possibly as early as middle school. As the anxiety around AI and job displacement continues to grow, I am eager to back solutions providing a tangible path toward work readiness and career exploration well before college. If you are working on innovative solutions in the space, please email me here and/or fill out this form. I look forward to hearing from you!