Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, January 19, 1995 TAG: 9501190084
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MELISSA DeVAUGHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PEARISBURG LENGTH: Long
Narrows High School Senior Brian McCroskey wants to be a mechanical engineer.
Senior Angela Lytton wants to be a dancer when she graduates from Giles High School, but thinks a backup career in business could be helpful.
Narrows Senior Kenneth Smith just wants to stay in Giles County and find a job in his hometown.
What advantage do all three high school students have?
They are participants in the Giles County Partnership for Excellence Foundation Inc. and they are already working at jobs that will prepare them for their future in the work force.
The program, under the direction of Glen Lyn Mayor Howard Spencer, has been a huge success.
It started in 1991 and by 1993, was awarded the Governor's Horizon Award for the best new partnership in the state. More than a dozen businesses are on board, and countless programs have been designed to cater to students' career goals.
"Anytime we call and say we'd like to do something for the kids, they always say 'how can we help?'" said Spencer. "That has been the key to the success so far. Everyone is very supportive of what we do."
The partnership is different from traditional vocational courses and work-study programs, Spencer said. "We're trying to address certain needs. We're finding jobs for students who are interested and these are also jobs that Giles County needs now. We're simply Giles Countians promoting Giles Countians."
McCroskey and Smith have been splitting time working at three county waste water treatment plants. Each plant offers the students opportunities in water chemistry testing, varied waste treatment methods and other jobs related to the profession. The boys are paid to work at the plant, but also receive class credit and are evaluated for job performance.
"I'm thinking about college and thinking about mechanical engineering," McCroskey said. "That kind of job could apply to this field, too."
McCroskey said he originally planned to "coast" through his senior year, taking only easy courses to graduate. Instead, he was urged to take chemistry to prepare him for his work at the waste water treatment plant, and guess what?
He loves the class and made a B the first six weeks.
Smith found out about the waste water treatment job through his guidance counselor.
"I like it a lot," Smith said. "The main thing is I just wanted to find something to do. I'd rather stay around here."
Another plus: Smith, McCroskey and one other student working at the plant will take a test in May to become state-certified waste water facilitators, putting them one step ahead in the employment game.
"In order to get a [waste water] job, you have to have a class 4 license and in order to get the license like that you usually have to work in a plant for six months," said John Everett, chief operator at the Narrows Waste Water Treatment Plant. "Our company's policy is we'd rather hire people in the area. By these guys working here, they'll already be certified to get permanent jobs. I wish they had something like this when I was a kid."
School Superintendent Robert McCracken said the Partnership for Excellence Foundation has been successful because it is a reciprocal effort.
"It's a mating dance of sorts because we've put the schools in the position to court businesses and at same time asked the businesses to court us," McCracken said. "Generally a partnership is asking a business to do something for us, but now we're saying we want to do something for businesses as well."
Lytton, the Giles High School senior who wants to be a dancer, became involved with the partnership's "Entrepreneurship Program" because she was interested in learning more about business relationships. The local chamber of commerce hired her to update lists, answer the phones, write articles for the local paper and help put together the chamber newsletter. Lytton said she has learned more there than she could ever learn in a business class.
"I want to go to Radford University and major in dancing," Lytton said. "But I wanted something money-making to fall back on like a minor in business finances. Working here has made me think that if I was going to apply for another job it wouldn't have to be at a fast food place."
The partnership has expanded beyond on-site jobs.
The "Serve, Learn and Earn" program will give 16 high school students a chance to learn about different jobs through local businesses. A mock interview program offers every graduating senior a chance at a "pretend interview" with six businesses. And the foundation has applied for additional grants that will help pay for more programs to train high school students.
"I think it's beneficial to us because these are our workers of tomorrow," said Velma Ezell, customer sales specialist for First Union bank in Pearisburg. "In a small community like this, it is important to express interest in our youth."
Spencer said the partnership will continue to expand and change as the students and community change.
"Industries have told us where they'd like [the students] to be, and we have heard them."
by CNB