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Business Advisory Council
March 1, 2019 Joint Statement
Pickaway County ESC and Pickaway WORKS
Business Advisory Council
Regular meetings of the Pickaway WORKS Advisory Board have been held, in accordance with our by-laws, on the following dates:
March 23, 2018
May 3, 2018
June 28, 2018
August 9, 2018
September 14, 2018
December 7, 2018
Presentations have been made to the four local school districts we serve, as well as the ESC Advisory Board, with updates on program activities on the following dates:
December 4, 2018 - Pickaway County ESC Board
January 14, 2019 - Westfall School Board
February 11, 2019- Logan Elm School Board
February 12, 2019 - Pickaway County ESC Board
February 13, 2019 - Circleville School Board
February 25, 2019 - Teays Valley School Board
A website has been created to serve as a resource for Pickaway County schools, businesses and the community. All program initiatives are highlighted, as well as opportunities to get involved and a detailed background on the 12 year history of our program and our board makeup. Please visit www.pickawayworks.com.
The following 6 initiatives were developed and are being implemented by Pickaway WORKS to ensure that the work of our schools aligns with the needs of business:
Educator Tours of Business: 29 different area businesses have hosted 133 teachers on tours of their facilities, to learn about career opportunities and education requirements and to connect real world scenarios to learning in the classroom. Dates for upcoming tours are scheduled through August. A database of area businesses that are interested in hosting a tour has been created. We have also begun a series of tours of our local schools. Business partners are invited in to learn about current programming and provide input and advice on planning for future curriculum. Specific guidance has been given on preparing students for careers in several sectors - manufacturing, logistics and robotics, to name a few.
Thinking Partners: Through educator business tours and other community events, connections are being made between classroom teachers and the local business community. Pickaway County teachers are being trained in problem-based learning instructional methods and are using these business connections to bring authentic work challenges to their classroom for students to tackle. Several of these projects have been presented to the community and meetings and events, highlighting the work our students and schools are accomplishing in partnership with business. A database of businesses that are willing to partner with classroom teachers on such projects has been developed, and a detailed database is being maintained to track these partnerships and their progress.
Job Shadows/Internships: 16 different job shadow opportunities have been provided to students over our four school districts this year, with a new initiative being rolled out this spring at the college level in partnership with Ohio Christian University.
Career Day Events: School-wide career day and weekly career speaker events are happening throughout the school year in all four districts. A database of business and community members willing to speak to students in school about their career journey and opportunities in their field has been developed.
Boot Camps: mock interviews for all four high schools have been conducted by volunteers from the business community, as well as presentations and workshops on resources for life after high school to prepare students for future success. A database of business volunteers willing to conduct mock interviews has been developed.
Business Showcase Videos: a marketing class is currently involved in the pre-production phase of creating a spotlight video for a local employer. These type of videos will be used to promote career opportunities at the business while giving marketing students experience and an up-close look. A database of businesses willing to allow a student-led video crew in their facility has been developed.
A Pickaway WORKS e-newsletter, with highlights and updates of activities, was developed and sent to over 350 partners and supporters of our program in December 2018. A copy of this newsletter can be found on our website.
We attend meetings and work closely with P3 (Pickaway Progress Partnership),the Pickaway County economic development agency, as well as other business associations such as SHRM (Society of Human Resource Managers) and REAN (Rickenbacker Employers Assistance Network) to keep informed and up to date on local workforce needs and projections.
We conduct semi-annual Workforce Connections Breakfasts with 80+ local educators, business and community members to share our work and progress with our stakeholders.
We also continue our work in college and career access with best practices such as ACT prep, financial aid workshops, the annual Pickaway County College & Career Night, Pickaway WORKS First-Generation College Student Scholarship, Real Money Real World financial literacy program for all county 8th graders, and Kids on Campus summer enrichment camp for area 1st-4th graders.