Salem Employers Connect with Students

Recent surveys of employers indicate that only about 25% of students who graduate from high school are prepared for the real-life demands of their workplace.  What’s an employer to do?  Well, employers in Salem, Oregon have been getting directly involved working with students to help them understand how important their education is to their future—and showing them they have a multitude of career opportunities if they are willing to work hard.

In a little over one-year, the Salem-Keizer Public School’s Ready To Learn - Ready To Work program has reached over 3,000 students from all seven area high schools.  Formed in partnership with E3, Salem-Keizer Public Schools, local employers and the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce and the Keizer Chamber of Commerce, employee volunteers are serving as guest speakers in classrooms, leading students on office tours, providing internships and job shadows, and holding mock interviews to help students understand the skills they need to be successful in work.

“It is immeasurable in its value to students to hear directly from employers what things they value in their prospective employees,” said Glenn Gelbrich, assistant superintendent of Salem-Keizer Public Schools. “And it is icing on the cake for teachers to know that community leaders are echoing their urgings about the soft and hard skills students need to be successful in life.”

Employer involvement has become a major initiative for Salem-Keizer Public Schools, which is Oregon’s second largest district.  “We have thousands of students who need to be connected to the real world,” added Gelbrich.

(Pictured left: Salem area students don clean suits to tour the food production facilities at TransOcean, just one of the employers participating in the Ready to Work – Ready to Learn program.)

Don’t Wear Black Nail Polish!

Dean Craig, president of Personnel Source, a human resources consulting firm in Salem has volunteered several times to help lead mock employment interviews at Sprague High School to help students understand what employers are looking for in interview situations.  “As an employer we have to get involved and help our schools prepare students for work.  Schools can’t do this alone,” said Craig.  “I really enjoy working with the students, and I know the feedback they are getting is really helping them.”

(Volunteer Dean Craig with students during mock interviews at Sprague High School.)

Amber, a soft spoken sophomore interviewed with Craig and told him she wanted a career as a poet.  Dean gave Amber some positive feedback and comments about her eye contact, communication, body language and appearance.  “You did a good job with your presentation, but I don’t recommend you wear the black nail polish to an interview,” said Craig with a rye smile. “Appearance is very important to employers.”  He went on to ask Amber some questions about what she thought she would need to do to be a successful poet. Amber acknowledged that poets don’t typically make a living, and that she would probably need to “…teach writing or something.”  She thought about that for a second and then said, “I guess I’ll have to go to college.”

“That’s a typical reaction,” said Bryan Hatzenbihler, economics teacher at Sprague High School. “Students sit down with an adult and get to try out their career interests and often find they haven’t a clue about with it takes to succeed in that field. It can be very eye opening.”

Employers participating in the program have made hundreds of classroom presentations to students at all of the area high schools, presenting a wide-range of career options.  Alejandra Morales, a 12th grader at McKay High School, was surprised at how much she enjoyed the guest speaker who presented at her accounting class. “At first I thought, “An accountant? He’ll be really borrrring”, but it was way more interesting than what I thought it was going to be,” she said. “He made me realize there was real potential for a career in that area, and now I understand what I’d have to do to get there.”

Teachers also appreciate having employers coming into the classroom. “I always felt at a loss for how to connect what I was teaching in school to the real world,” said Carole Fischer a teacher at Sprague High School. “But the program is really helping my students understand about responsibility, attitude and aptitude in a very positive way.”

The Ready To Learn – Ready To Work program is jointly managed by the school district and the Salem and Keizer Chambers of Commerce and coordinated through the Salem Area Chamber office.  “Employers recognize that workforce development is critical to the local, state and national economy,” said Mike McLaran, Chief Executive Officer of the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce, and Co-Chair of the Ready To Learn – Ready To Work leadership team. “That’s why our chamber is involved, and really why every chamber should be involved.  Employers have been chomping at the bit to do something meaningful in schools.”

Program Coordinator, Cori Clausen (pictured right) has made countless presentations at chamber meetings, rotary, service clubs, and many local employers to encourage companies to participate.  A comprehensive website (www.workandlearnnow.com) was created so employers could easily register on-line and sign up for specific activities such as providing worksite tours, job shadows, and internships.   “The website is a great tool,” said Clausen.  “I initially thought it was going to be difficult to recruit employers to get involved in schools but 95% of the time I ask a company to participate, they say yes.  It’s been incredible.”

As the program moves forward this school year, the goal is to involve even more employers.  “There is a growing understanding that the success of the school district is tightly correlated with Salem’s future prospects,” said Bill Church, Executive Editor of the Salem Statesmen Journal and member of the program leadership team. “Ready To Learn – Ready To Work has helped the community recognize that student achievement is a team sport. Everyone needs to be in the game.” 

For more information about the Ready To Learn –Ready To Work program visit the program website at www.workandlearnnow.com or www.E3Oregon.org.

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