Contributed
DEMONSTRATION — Health technologies student Kimber Rogers demonstrates some of the high-tech learning tools her class has available during a business advisory council presentation at Jefferson County Joint Vocational School on Oct. 2
BLOOMINGDALE — More than 70 people gathered at the Jefferson County Joint Vocational School for the annual Business Advisory Council session on Oct. 2, where community partners were updated on happenings within the program labs.
Students, faculty, administrators and business members met in the school commons for a dinner provided by Josephine’s of Mingo Junction and served by students, then JVS Career and Workforce Development Coordinator Carina Aulicino welcomed attendants and thanked the businesses for their willingness to partner with the programs.
Aulicino noted that during the past school year, approximately 45 percent of seniors gained more than 250 work-based learning hours — far exceeding the goal set by the state. In addition, many other students completed experiences where they accumulated 100 or more hours.
“These achievements would not be possible without your partnership and dedication to our students’ success,” she said. “On behalf of Jefferson County JVS, thank you again for your investment in our students and for helping us build strong connections between education and the workforce. We look forward to continuing this important work together.”
She introduced Superintendent Ted Gorman, who extended further gratitude for the partnerships and said they provide students with opportunities to soar to success. “I can’t thank you enough for all you do,” Gorman added. “It’s important to our students and I could not be prouder to be their superintendent.”
He added that he and Principal Heather Hoover were additions to the school, and they looked forward to building an exciting future for JVS.
Gorman noted that the school was furthering its efforts to add certified adult education classes by continuing a certified nursing assistant program and potentially adding a licensed practical nurse class and partnering with Wintersville Fire and Rescue to offer firefighting classes.
“Career-ed is the way to go. We offer College Credit Plus classes if students want to go further in education. The sky’s the limit,” Gorman continued. “We want you to come to our building and see what they are doing. We want to get students trained and we hope to get them certified, get them out into the real world, and let them be successful.”
Hoover later said the advisory councils helped make an impact. “I’m excited that we have this. There is so much community support to guide the programs and provide opportunities for students to get experience that aligns with their programs,” she added.
Following dinner, the business advisers headed to their respective programs, including health technologies, auto body collision, cosmetology, criminal justice, animal science management, early childhood education, Transition to Work, heavy equipment operation and welding.
Organizer Jamie Freeman, criminal justice program instructor, said the annual event helped participating programs to keep their council members informed.
“Every lab has to have an advisory council with people from the community who can help make it bigger and better,” Freeman said. “We started a group event around 2014 and have done this annually, but other programs may conduct their own events.”
Representatives from TEAM Automotive and Jefferson County Educational Service Center to Trinity Health System and the Jefferson County Board of Developmental Disabilities were on hand to offer their support and hear how they and the programs could help each other.
One example was in the health tech lab, where instructor Tammy Sismondo and her students, all of whom donned their Health Occupations Students of America uniforms, presented on the program’s high-tech learning lab and gave council members an overview of the equipment.
“Students want to be able to use the equipment and not just be sitting in a classroom,” she said. “Hopefully, with your help and by getting some more equipment, they can take what they learn and become successful.”
Sismondo said she was seeking more technology and learning opportunities, and some officials offered to open their doors for a potential simulation day to gain experience. Further talks included possible shadowing to help obtain certification and the session closed with technology demonstrations in the lab.
More than a few of the representatives were former JVS students themselves and found their own success in the world. One of them was Leslie Icuss, owner of Legal Hair and Day Spa in Steubenville, who found her footing at the vocational school.
“It’s awesome. (Cosmetology instructor) Brianne Schoolcraft worked for me and 49 years later, my granddaughter is in this class,” Icuss said. “I stayed friends with my teachers, and it’s a blessing because I’d never be able to afford school. My teacher made sure I became successful.”
She recalled the days when she was taught by then-instructor Rita Karanzas, who took her to Karanzas’ son’s salon in Pittsburgh and other venues to build her knowledge and abilities.
Karanzas would eventually be employed at Legal and the latter was grateful for her tutelage.
“She saw something in me that I didn’t see. I made a lot of good friends here and people encouraged me,” she said. Icuss noted that the JVS programs played a vital role in building the workforce and she has employed many former cosmetology students from the JVS, including four who were taught by Schoolcraft.
