The Mitchell County Chamber and its new workforce development initiative is partnering with the Mitchell County Schools to present the Students@Work Month to Mitchell County’s middle school students during the month of March.
Students@Work is a project of the North Carolina Business Committee for Education in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The goal is for North Carolina businesses to help middle school students in their community see the opportunities that exist in the workplace.
The Chamber is working with Pam Pitman, Business Career Coordinator at Bowman Middle School and Shea Renfro at Harris Middle School to coordinate the events. “The Chamber was eager to be a part of this project in Mitchell County Schools to bring our local business and industry community together with the middle school students at both Harris and Bowman schools,” said Patti Jensen, Executive Director of the Mitchell County Chamber. “We appreciate the opportunity that Kim Hodshon, CTE Director of Mitchell County Schools and the Business Career Coordinators at the middle schools gave us to partner with them.”
Instead of taking place during one concentrated week, Students@Work™ program will be held throughout the month of March with a specific industry focus for each week during the month. The students will have exposure to local business and industry and a variety of careers through speakers, exhibits by local businesses and field trips.
The specific focus weeks are:
March 4-8: Education, Healthcare and Public Service
March 11-15: Small Business and Entrepreneurship
March 18-22: STEM (science, technology, engineering, math)
March 25-29: Hospitality, Tourism and Retail
The Students@Work™program is a perfect example of the types of engagements that the Chamber’s new workforce development initiative plans to have with Mitchell County students to raise the exposure, awareness and education of the types of careers that are available in Mitchell County,” said Jensen. “In addition, our member businesses are interested in knowing ways that they can support our local schools and the workforce development programs in the county.”
Businesses are encouraged to participate in the Students@Work month by signing up to speak to students about their business, industry or career during the industry week that highlights their business sector. Speakers can choose one or both schools and can work with the coordinators to select a day and time slot that works best for them. Businesses are also invited to set up a booth/table during the lunch breaks at the middle schools to highlight their company and provide information students. Any business interested in being a part of the Students@Work week should email Pam Pitman at Bowman Middle at [email protected], or Shea Renfro at Harris Middle at [email protected]. Businesses may also call the Mitchell County Chamber office with any questions they might have.