If I knew then what I know now … most of us have had that thought at one time or another. But until Doc Brown really does turn a DeLorean into a time machine, there’s not much we can do about it.
As we transition from the end of the school year to the summer season, however, a relatively new collaborative hopes to make that concern less likely for current and future high school graduates.
Formed in 2015 through the Logan County Chamber of Commerce to address local workforce issues and create opportunities for job-seekers, the Logan County Collaborative compels students to consider one simple question: What’s your E? They then point graduates toward three options: Enrolled, Enlisted or Employed. And they believe each one has equal merit.
“People have generally been most encouraged to go to college if they want to be successful,” Ben Vollrath, Logan County Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, said.
“But 75 percent of Logan County residents don’t have a degree beyond high school. And many of our jobs and career tracks within the community don’t require that graduate degree.”
Former chamber president Paul Benedetti was instrumental in starting the collaborative when he worked with local schools and business leaders to bridge the gap between educators and industry. In doing so, they discovered many area companies wanted to hire high school graduates but the students weren’t prepared to enter the workforce.
Mark Butler also played a part in the initial drive and implementation when he was principal at Benjamin Logan High School (BLHS). “[He] started pushing the campaign and urging us to look at workforce opportunities in the community,” Vollrath said.
Karen Sorreles, youth development liaison with the Midwest Regional Educational Service Center, has been working with the collaborative for several years now. Sorreles has coordinated a number of events that fit into the 3E spectrum, from a college fair at BLHS in September to a career expo at Indian Lake High School every March. She also put together a military week over Veteran’s Day last November with another in April, something she intends to continue thanks to the positive response.
“Then we have career speakers on the third Thursday of each month to talk to juniors and seniors at each school,” Sorreles said. “The goal is that every high school graduate knows or has an idea what their E is.”
Sorreles stressed the value in each E for society as well. Fortunately, they’re getting help from Logan County schools. BLHS, Bellefontaine, Indian Lake, Riverside and Ohio Hi-Point Career Center have all gotten on board with 3E banners and commitment cards.
“It’s a shift in the mentality to make that jump,” Vollrath admitted. “Now we want to help parents see there’s value in other options besides college.”
To help even more, the collaborative has started a unique Gap Year program for local students, which will be the topic of the second part of this series in tomorrow’s Examiner.