Workforce Readiness Success Stories

Geauga Workforce Development Initiatives. Submitted by:Denise Tomazic(Workforce Development Chair)

• Objective:To strengthen the partnership between business, education, and community initiatives by providing resources, time, and input to students, educators, and legislative and community groups.

• Key to involvement: Be passionate about the initiative and confident in what you have to contribute. Step out of your comfort zone and seek out new partnerships and you’ll be amazed at how you can bring different groups together to achieve a common workforce development goal.

• Mentor Schools Business Advisory Council
  • Mission:To provide a partnership between our schools and the business community.
  • Annual goals established by the team that is comprised of educators, business, parents, local city officials, and chamber members.
• Projects:
• Classroom partners
• Panel members
• Job Shadowing
• Senior Project Sponsor
• High school career fair
• Preparing students for the 21st Century Workforce
• Meeting dates:Monthly meeting ...no summer meetings
• Employment Skills Workshop:
  • Mission: To establish a strong partnership between business and education to help provide students the resources and skills to succeed in the school/work transition.
  • Partners: Wide sector of business, educators, and Lake County Chamber of Commerce
  • Projects:One-day workshop for high school students in Lake County that is held at Lake Erie College. Local business partners serve as facilitators and panelists to represent careers and interact with the students on skills that are needed when looking for and sustaining a job.About 300 students and their teachers attend.
  • ** Usually an annual event but in 2009 we are taking a year off to just update and revise the program.Exciting new program in 2010!!
  • Meeting Dates:Usually once a month from October- May. This year we are meeting every other month and subcommittees working in the interim.
• Mentor Chamber of Commerce: Education Committee:
  • Mission: The Mentor Area Chamber of Commerce Committee (a non-profit organization) wishes to encourage a partnership between the youth and business of the community. The purpose is to gain respect of ideas and goals necessary for the perseverance of knowledge and promote the importance of education.
  • Partners: Business, chamber, and educational liaison
  • ** Partners with Mentor Schools Business Advisory Council
  • Key projects: Education committee sponsors annual scholarships for high school seniors.
  • Meetings: monthly
• E city project with Harvey High School:
  • Similar to Junior Achievement…Feb- May
  • Current Chapter president and board member participating.
  • CSU Exciting Careers in the 21st Century:
  • One-day workshop for high school students held at Cleveland State University in late September.It is a career fair and break out workshops.Participation in 2007.
• LAB (Learning About Business):
  • Week long program at Lake Erie College targeted for high school juniors. Business volunteers work with students on various projects.
  • Annual event in June.
• Presentations: Society of Women Engineers Conference ( University of Akron) March 2009 Presented by Denise Tomazic
  • “ Marketing Yourself and Being Successful in a Challenging Economy”
  • Bottom Line:Reach out in your community and you’ll be amazed at the committed partners striving to reach that same workforce development goal.As always, there is powerful strength in teamwork striving to make a difference