AT&T and Junior Achievement Aim to Inspire 100,000 Students Through National Job Shadow Opportunities

DALLAS, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As National Job Shadow Day arrives, AT&T* Inc. (NYSE: T) today reinforced its commitment to supporting the largest job-shadow program in the nation and, in partnership with Junior Achievement, unveiled plans to provide job shadow opportunities to even more schools throughout the nation.

By providing students a chance to join someone on the job and learn about career opportunities, AT&T and Junior Achievement are combating the alarming drop-out rate in our schools. More than 1.3 million American students drop out of high school every year, with many saying they simply don't see the relevance between school work and life success.

AT&T and Junior Achievement are committed to recruiting 100,000 high school students into the program over five years. Since the $5.5 million job shadow initiative began in 2008, the program has reached more than 23,000 students in 200 cities, and testimonies of its success have been widespread.

"The teens of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Kentuckiana had a very positive and eye-opening experience with the AT&T/JA Worldwide Job Shadow Initiative," said Tina Hood, Director of Operations for the Boys and Girls Club of Kentuckiana, located in Louisville, KY. "By giving them a first-hand look into the jobs near their own homes, it opened their minds to a new world of career choices – and the paths to get there."

Recent findings from a report evaluating students who participated in the AT&T/JA Worldwide Job Shadow Initiative show the program is making a significant impact and is changing attitudes about staying in school:

• Ninety-nine percent of students who participated in the program felt that it was important to graduate from high school.
• Ninety-three percent of students felt that their ability to set goals had improved as a result of participating in Job Shadow.
• Ninety-eight percent of students agreed that doing well in school will help them achieve their career goals.
• Ninety percent of students felt that the experience made them more aware of career options.

National Job Shadow Day is a coordinated effort of America's Promise Alliance, Junior Achievement, the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Labor.

In addition to observing National Job Shadow Day today, sponsors and organizers are planning numerous job shadowing events nationwide during National Volunteer Week in mid-April and throughout the spring semester.  

The initiative will also include a Capitol Hill Job Shadow Day in Washington, D.C., where a group of at-risk students will have the opportunity to shadow staff in congressional offices and get an insider's look at how our government works.  

"AT&T is proud to support the nation's largest job-shadowing initiative in conjunction with Junior Achievement," said Randall Stephenson, chairman and CEO of AT&T. "It's rewarding to share with students how their efforts in school can translate into productive careers and lives."

Recently, AT&T was recognized with Junior Achievement's 2009 President's Volunteer Service Award, given to commend Americans who contribute significant amounts of time to volunteer activities. AT&T was one of five corporations that received "Gold Level" status for dedicating more than 15,000 volunteer hours teaching Junior Achievement (JA) educational programs.

AT&T's job shadow campaign is part of AT&T Aspire, a $100 million initiative to address high school success and workforce readiness. Aspire is AT&T's most significant education initiative to date, and one of the largest ever corporate commitments to address the specific issues of high school success and workforce readiness.

For more information about the AT&T/JA Worldwide Job Shadow Initiative, please visit www.att.com/jobshadow.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services, the nation's fastest 3G network and the best wireless coverage worldwide, and the nation's leading high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of their three-screen integration strategy, AT&T operating companies are expanding their TV entertainment offerings. In 2009, AT&T again ranked No. 1 in the telecommunications industry on FORTUNE® magazine's list of the World's Most Admired Companies. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com.

About Philanthropy at AT&T

AT&T and the AT&T Foundation are committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. Through its philanthropic initiatives and partnerships, AT&T supports projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic and economic achievement; and address community needs. The AT&T Foundation celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2009, and more than $160 million was contributed through AT&T corporate-, employee- and AT&T Foundation-giving programs in 2008 alone.

© 2009 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.

About Junior Achievement® (JA)

Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated volunteer network, Junior Achievement provides in-school and after-school programs for students which focus on three key content areas: work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. Today, 131 individual area operations reach more than four million students in the United States, with an additional five million students served by operations in 123 other countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.ja.org.  

SOURCE AT&T Inc.