Programs help students jump-starts careers

The River Valley Technical Center in Springfield gives local high school juniors and seniors a number of opportunities to explore a career track they’ve already chosen.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20150406/BUSINESS03/704069977

Programs help students jump-starts careers By Gareth Henderson Staff Writer | April 06,2015 Anthony Edwards / Staff Photo Bill Lucci, coordinator of adult learning at Stafford Technical Center in Rutland, sorts through curriculum paperwork at his desk on Friday. It takes some confidence to start a business when economic times are looking tough. But, that’s just what Travis Bovey did when he started Boondock Motors in 2006. And his solid career education, which started at Stafford Technical Center, is a big part of the reason his auto repair and towing business is still going strong. Bovey is one of many Vermonters who have taken advantage of career-oriented programs at technical schools that serve the high school population. These programs prepare these young students to launch right into their chosen fields or gain college credits from early on-the-job experiences these programs provide. Bovey, 29, a 2003 Otter Valley High School graduate, located his business in the Florence area of Pittsford, and he has a strong customer base. He was in the power mechanics program at Stafford, where he learned many of the same skills he uses today. He honed those skills working for Ted’s Auto in Pittsford and Midas in Rutland. Bovey then worked for Crean Equipment in Pittsford for one year, before going into business in 2006. “I’m looking to grow my towing business, and the business in general,” he said. Bovey, who has a strong passion for his chosen field, was undeterred by the hard economic times that were setting in nine years ago. “We went through some of the worst of them,” he said. The business community also includes some graduates of River Valley Technical Center in Springfield. Michael Jasinski, 34, is a 2000 Springfield High School graduate who now works at General Electric in Rutland as an advanced machinist. He studied manufacturing and engineering at RVTC. “If I didn’t take that class, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” Jasinski said. He said the technical schools in the area are a “gigantic part” of workforce and economic development in the region. Jasinski noted that he couldn’t afford to go to college, and that while studying at the technical center, he was employed at Lovejoy Tool Company in Springfield. “For the younger generation, it’s our ticket to jobs,” he said of technical schools. “It’s our college.” Technical centers in Vermont also offer career exposure to students before they reach high school. Stafford Technical Center in Rutland offers summer camps in late June. This gives students from sixth to ninth grade the chance to get interested in technology camps, said Ted Guilmette, the center’s director. Once they reach high school, the technical center offers students 15 different programs. Students come from their respective high schools to experience these programs, which now include the popular STEM program. Guilmette said the programs in digital arts, culinary arts, cosmetology, health care and automotive have been quite popular over the years. In fact, he said some local high school graduates who experienced the automotive program have gone on to successful careers with area dealerships. Guilmette said a number of trades are covered, including electrical, plumbing and construction. Forestry has been popular especially with those students who prefer to work in the outdoors. “If you get kids interested early and if you get them interested in college-level work, their success rate is a lot better when they move on past high school,” Guilmette said. After a successful first year, the STEM program is gaining interest from more and more students. “Most of our programs have college credit attached as well,” Guilmette said. He also said the center has strong partnerships with a number of local employers, including GE. “We try to meet the needs of the community.” Of the Stafford students who graduated from area high schools in 2004-2008, school data shows 31.2 percent of them are pursuing further education and 64.2 percent of them are employed. Today, Guilmette said that 31.2 percent figure is closer to 40 percent. Nearby, the River Valley Technical Center in Springfield gives local high school juniors and seniors a number of opportunities to explore a career track they’ve already chosen. “When we get them, they’re all about career preparation,” said Dave Culver, the cooperative education coordinator at RVTC. RVTC offers a range of programs, including culinary arts and audio-visual technology. These days, Culver said, the center has a particular focus on manufacturing, where there is a great need for skilled workers. However, he emphasized that the programs go beyond industry-specific skills. “One of the things we really, really push is employability skills,” Culver said. RVTC has advisory councils, groups made up of local employers, that work directly with faculty to make sure the skills being taught match the needs of today’s workplace in those industries. Culver said that four or five years ago, the school brought all its advisory council together to talk about the “employability skills” they need in their workers. These skills cover basic things, such as showing up on time and working with a team. In the end, the councils came up with these five skills that all RVTC students learn about directly in the classroom: dependability, communication skills, collaboration, problem-solving and organization. “At the end of our process, you should be able to look in a mirror and be able to self-assess,” Culver said. Bob Flint, executive director of the Springfield Regional Development Corporation, is also co-chair of the River Valley Workforce Investment Board. The River Valley WIB is currently planning a “manufacturing boot camp” for students. Flint noted that, in the manufacturing industry, many older workers are nearing retirement, and not as many new workers are coming in. “You don’t have that flow of replacements that you used to,” Flint said. He added that the new boot camp program would introduce students to modern manufacturing skills and eventually provide the employees companies need. The River Valley WIB, the technical center and the Small Business Development Center have also set up the River Valley Employment Fair, now in its third year. It’s happening from 1 to 5 p.m. May 20 at Riverside Middle School in Springfield, and the first hour is set aside for current secondary students. Also in Vermont, there are schools, colleges and business organizations trying to strengthen the connection between the educational realm and the business world. Lyle Jepson, Castleton State College’s dean of entrepreneurial programs, said the college is part of such a community-wide effort in the Rutland area. The effort also involves Rutland Redevelopment Authority, the Downtown Rutland Partnership, the Rutland Economic Development Corporation, the Rutland Regional Planning Commission and the Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce. “We have education and training we can bring to the table,” Jepson said of the college’s involvement. Jepson expected this planning effort would eventually produce a strategic economic development plan for the Rutland area, part of which would include internships and other employment experiences that help students and local businesses. Jepson said the idea is to create “a clear continuum from public education to higher education to employment.” Noting the Castleton Downtown location, Jepson expressed the college’s overall commitment to provide resources that all students can use to start a career, or even pursue their own entrepreneurial interests. “What we want to do as a college is provide a pathway for students or others to take their skills or their ideas to market,” Jepson said. The state’s role The Vermont Department of Labor also has offerings that help younger students make their way into the workforce. Annie Noonan, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Labor, said the state has organized a number of career exploration opportunities for students in grades six to eight. “The goal of those programs is just to expose young Vermonters to careers and different occupational economic sectors, so kids can actually see what being in that work environment is like and what doing that work involves,” Noonan said. She said the state and its partners also provide job shadowing and mentoring opportunities for students interested in various careers, such as veterinary sciences and gaming. Noonan said the department also helps provide internship opportunities for high school and college students. These programs, offered throughout the state, can also lead to employment with a local business. The Rutland area has seen good results from the Training Interns and Partnering for Success or TIPS program. It’s funded by the state labor department’s Next Generation program. Janelle Hewitt, a Mill River Union High School student with plans to graduate early, is currently doing an internship with fashion consultant Joan Gamble, through the TIPS program. Hewitt said that by communicating with customers and helping Gamble plan parties, she’s learning valuable work and communication skills that will help her in the paralegal career she plans to pursue. Hewitt said these include “social skills, how to meet new people, and how to network.” Nancy Burzon, executive director for the Rutland region’s WIB, helps coordinate the local TIPS program. She said this region was one of the first in the state to adopt the TIPS model. The TIPS program in the Rutland area has worked with 50 kids per year for the last five years, she said. “We’ve really had some good results, throughout all industries,” Burzon said.