HOST SITES FOR JOB EXPLORATION PROGRAM
- Aveda Fredric's Institute
- Bentley World Packaging Ltd.
- City of Hamilton — Economic Development
- City of Hamilton Police Department
- Contingent Network Services
- Courtyard by Marriott Hamilton
- FinPan Inc.
- Fitton Center for Creative Arts
- Great Miami Valley YMCA — Central and Hamilton West locations
- Hamilton Caster & Mfg. Co.
- Hamilton City Schools
- Hamilton Mill
- Hillandale
- Jacobs Engineering
- Lane Public Library
- Office Depot — Bridgewater Falls
- Pyramid Hill
- ThyssenKrupp Bilstein of America, Inc.
- Tyco SimplexGrinnel
- West Chester Hospital
- YMCA of the USA — East Butler and Fairfield locations
Students from throughout Butler County have been taking advantage of an opportunity to gain real world experience with a program called Job Exploration, set-up by Cincinnati-based Junior Achievement of OKI Partners Inc.
The non-profit Junior Achievement offers free financial education programs to students in the region. The idea behind the programs, according to Executive Director Carol Lucio, is to help students “gain a fundamental understanding of business, economics and entrepreneurship.”
Students taking part in the Job Exploration are given the opportunity to witness “real jobs” up-close for a better understanding about possible future careers or areas of study, she said.
Nearly 1,200 students from Hamilton, Fairfield and Lakota school districts participated last year in Job Exploration through 48 local companies and organizations.
“This year we hope and anticipate to surpass the 2,000-student mark,” Lucio said.
Most recently, 23 organizations played host to approximately 470 students from Wilson and Garfield middle school students. The Hamilton students received experience by pairing with workplace mentors, participating in group presentations and going on job-site tours, Lucio said.
“Junior Achievement supplies activity materials and suggested ideas for each host or host company to utilize with the participating students,” she said. “The support of the company’s is vital in order to make the Job Exploration days successful. We could surpass 2,000 students participating this year, if we get enough hosts.”
Junior Achievement has scheduled an upcoming Job Exploration day with Fairfield ninth-grade students on Dec. 3 and will get Lakota eighth-graders from Hopewell, Liberty and Ridge junior high schools involved in March.
“We are always looking to add more hosts, which keeps the program going,” Lucio said.
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