“The pendulum has swung,” said Jen Hayes, K-12 programs curriculum coordinator for the Middletown City School District, when talking about how job readiness sometimes is more important than a college degree.
Four years ago, during the outset of COVID-19, the Middletown district implemented a program called Passport to Tomorrow that delivers career exposure to students well before they graduate. The goal remains “eroding walls” in the schools and introducing students to job opportunities in the community and inviting business leaders inside the schools, Hayes said.
She updated those attending the Chamber of Commerce serving Middletown, Monroe and Trenton annual business meeting Thursday night at the Windamere Event Center.
Rick Pearce, chamber president, said the program provides “much-needed business skills” to students with assistance from local employers.
Hayes said the goal is to recruit 100 local business partners to work with the district and its students, and so far 61 businesses have participated.
She said the district realized many of its students were not sure where they wanted to work after graduation. So the students are encouraged to take field trips to local businesses and representatives from businesses are invited to speak to the students in school.
If the process works correctly, the graduates “leave our doors with skills,” Hayes said.
Superintendent Deborah Houser said the program provides students “with valuable learning experiences to prepare them for success after high school.”
The program also applies to the staff, according to Hayes. On professional development days, teachers spend time in local businesses so they can better understand the skills needed for those jobs.
Hayes said she toured Cleveland-Cliffs, and while she was impressed, she quickly realized that wearing steel-toed boots, jeans, a heavy coat and a shield was not a pleasant work environment for her. But after the tour, she was able to talk to students about the job opportunities and requirements at the steel company.
The tour gave her “a deep appreciation” for those who work there, she said.
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