WESTFIELD — Area businesses are encouraged to attend the Westfield Education to Business Alliance (WE2BA) meeting, co-sponsored by the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce and Westfield Public Schools, on Jan. 28, 8-9 a.m. at Tiger’s Pride Restaurant in Westfield Technical Academy.
This meeting will focus on ways in which the business community can both support and gain from the work of high school students as they head into their prospective careers.
Kevin Daley, assistant principal at WTA, will talk about cooperative education and the students in the various shops who are ready to go to work.
“The WTA Cooperative Education Program is pivotal to career development and the success of many of our students. It provides opportunities to acquire real-world job experience while earning credits towards graduation working 30-40 hours a week. These opportunities foster career skills, lead to potential full-time employment, all while earning money and building their resumes with our local businesses,” Daley said.
“Currently we have over 55 Grade 12 and Grade 11 students participating in the program with anticipation of more in the next few weeks, with hopes to reach 100 by the end of June,” Daley said, adding that in order to be eligible, students must meet academic, attendance and discipline requirements, and receive a positive recommendation from all of their teachers. He said all 11 of WTA’s career technical education shops are actively looking for business participation.
Patricia Healy, Reed Career Center counselor at Westfield High School, will talk about internships, job shadows and work-based learning at WHS. Healy said she is looking for businesses to partner with WHS seniors in an internship and/or job shadowing opportunity. Students who intern commit to 10 hours per week.
The areas most popular are healthcare, electrical, construction, social work, and esthetics, and are all in need for the second semester. Healy said she plans to review her process of how students are assigned and monitored each week. Healy said she has 40 seniors signed up for internships starting at the end of January.
Also on the agenda are internet technology services available at WTA, and how businesses can support Link to Libraries.
“WE2BA offers a unique opportunity for members of the business community to engage with our students. Businesses can offer job shadowing or internship experiences, or they can adopt a classroom. It can be an ongoing relationship or a one-time experience. We’re looking for all kinds of businesses to participate, because the experiences seem to be very rewarding on both sides,” said Amanda Waterfield, executive director of the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce.
“The connections that come out of WE2BA allow students to explore industry or career options that may resonate and inspire them, while giving businesses the chance to inform and shape their future workforce. The chamber members who are active in WE2BA are having a meaningful impact on our classrooms, with a far-reaching ripple effect. I would encourage anyone who is looking to make a difference to join us for the meeting to learn more,” added Waterfield.
