The Project SEARCH interns recently participated in Disability Mentoring Day at Sam’s Club in Lima. This proved to be a win/win experience for the interns and their mentors. Participating in this activity gave the interns the opportunity to:

• learn first hand about job opportunities
• explore possible career paths
• target career skills for improvement
• gain confidence in their own employability

After job shadowing in three departments, interns had a chance to learn about life behind the scenes at this work site. Lunch with the hosts followed. Interns were encouraged to talk about their experiences and to ask questions.  This was a valuable experience for the interns as they took on the role of employee in a setting where they most frequently find themselves in the role of customer.  The interns look forward to additional opportunities to job shadow in places of employment with positions to match their interests and abilities!

I read a very intersting artical today that reminded me of the difference we are making in our graduates lives at Ohio Hi-Point Career Center.  ”Beyond Home Ec: Vocational Programs Are a Good Investment” at http://www.aei.org/article/104299 reminds us that we are preparing our students for SUCCESS!  Our Career Technical Education (CTE) progrms offer high demand job opportunites and it is a huge bonus that the training is relatively short-term compared to two and four year post secondary institutions.  Shorter training means less cost in the end because students are able to come out of our programs with less loan debt.  Our graduates have a headstart in time, finances and career outlook.

I pulled a few highlights of this artical just for your enjoyment!

“Every time the economy goes south, we hear from the Harvard-educated bartender, the taxi driver with a master’s degree in art history, or the philosophy major who’s moved back in with his parents, shipping out résumé after fruitless résumé………..We told you that the way to get ahead in America was to get educated. You did it. And now you find yourself in the same place, but buried under debt……Some of these talented people would no doubt have been better served by an education more directly tied to the jobs they so desperately need.”

“employment projections suggest that prioritizing only bachelor’s-degree production is a mistake.”

“For post-secondary students, evidence is mounting that the payoff for occupational-certificate programs of at least one year can be quite large–often outweighing the benefits of an associate or bachelor’s degree.”

“it should not be a surprise that innovative Career Technical Education (CTE) programs have proven successful. They teach practical, marketable skills and are tightly linked to employer demand in high-growth industries. Many of them feature a heavy dose of on-the-job training and apprenticeships that introduce students to local employers and provide them with the personal relationships that often underlie the labor market.”

“Most are focused on preparing students for such growing industries as health care, information technology, and engineering. Most important, they are closely linked to local employers.”

“With some initiative and imagination, policymakers and leaders in the private sector can transform CTE from an educational backwater into an engine of our economic recovery.”

A great deal of attention is placed upon our students to master content standards and pass standardized tests . . . rightly so.  But, I am glad that our teachers have not lost sight of the importance of teaching and modeling community service to our students.

Recently, Sally Andrews and a group of her Marysville Health Tech students volunteered at the Union County Women’s Health Day.  I was so proud when several guests approached me to compliment OHP and Marysville on the professionalism and work ethic of our students.  They did a super job!

All of our satellite students are involved in some type of community service throughout the year.  This evening, the Graham FFA students will cook and serve tasty dinners to the teachers during parent-teacher conferences.  The CBI students at Upper Scioto Valley High School collect canned goods and organize them at the local food pantry once a month.  Our teaching professions students at Marysville and Bellefontaine provide professional development to teachers and parents on Internet safety.  The list is endless, and many other projects will be referenced in future blogs.

Any of you who volunteer or provide some type of service to the community know that you just don’t show up and do what is told of you.  Teachers and students spend countless hours organizing, preparing, and providing whatever service is being provided . . . and then there is typically clean-up of some type afterwards!  I applaud our instructors and students for putting forth time and effort beyond the school day to make a difference in our communities.  Thank you!