The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
High school sophomores get jump on career planning
High school sophomores are not typically tuned into strategizing a career path, but Geauga Growth Partnership is determined to give them the tools they need when they are ready. During two GGP Career Readiness workshops held in March, high school sophomores from Berkshire, Cardinal and Newbury, gained an immersion in soft skills and career readiness training.
Guest speaker Donald Wayne McLeod, creator and developer of Perceptionology, pulled no punches when giving feedback to students about how their behaviors dictate others’ perceptions. He challenged them to pay attention to how well they listen to others and “get, remember and use people’s names.”
McLeod was only one segment of a full day focused on helping students discover their personal strengths and honing soft skills. Students circulated through a whole menu of activities held at the Geauga Campus of Kent State University, including roll-playing, hearing personal stories of career pathways from business professionals, and other activities.
Anonymous feedback from student surveys speaks volumes: “I learned that people can form an opinion of you just by the way you present yourself, before you even say a word.” “I learned I should never close a door before I look inside.” “I can use the skills I learned today to make myself a better applicant for a job.”
“These programs are a win for everyone involved,” says GGP President Tracy Jemison. “Geauga students gain important skills to prepare them for success. Geauga businesses have ample opportunities to introduce themselves to their future workforce. These programs are also good for Geauga County economic development, as many of these students will build careers and/or start their own businesses right in the county where they grew up.”
GGP’s Youth Workforce Development Program began in 2012 with nine students who participated in the first High School Summer Internship program and has since expanded to include a full continuum of training opportunities for Geauga County middle school and high school students.
GGP serves more than 1,300 students annually from every Geauga school and since the program’s inception has led workforce training for more than 5,000 students.