Yesterday, members of the Jacob’s Ladder Business Association (JLBA) met with Gateway school officials and interested community members to discuss ways that local hilltown businesses could help students. (Photo by Amy Porter)
HUNTINGTON – Members of the Jacob’s Ladder Business Association (JLBA) met yesterday with Gateway school officials and interested community members to discuss ways that local hilltown businesses could help students, and vice versa.
Jason Finnie, principal of Gateway High School, spoke about the work-based learning program in Gateway that seeks to offer internships and work-study opportunities to students with local businesses. Business owners act as mentors to the students, with both sides signing a contract outlining five common goals. The purpose is to provide students with practical work experience, which fits into Gateway’s 21st Century Learning goals, as well as rounding out college applications. Currently, ten students from Gateway are partaking in internships.
Business mentors must pass CORI checks in order to work with students. In addition, there is a question of liability. Currently, Massachusetts State Law requires workman’s compensation coverage for students at work-study sites. For several of the small businesses at yesterday’s meeting that did not have workman’s compensation insurance, this raised a concern. Finnie said they are looking into possible grants or alternative sources of coverage for these placements.
Derrick Mason, president of the Jacob’s Ladder Business Association, connects with Gateway junior Dylan Mosher of Russell. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Alice Taverna, who heads Special Education at Gateway, spoke about the work-based learning program for special education students. Taverna said that Gateway must develop a transition plan for special education students that includes education, employment and independent living skills. Gateway now has an apartment in the school to help teach living skills, such as laundering clothes and cooking, which has been very successful. But, Taverna said, Gateway is missing job sampling for these students. Taverna said she has ten students, who would be “more than happy, willing, able, and excited” to partner with local businesses. The special education students would each be accompanied by a job coach, and are more flexible with the hours they can work at the sites.
One of the challenges for all of the students at Gateway is transportation. Taverna said the school district does not have a car or van at its disposal to transport students, so a business in the community, or nearby, would be ideal.
Derrick Mason, newly elected president of the Jacob’s Ladder Business Association, said, “I really believe strongly that this type of program has real promise for the businesses of the hilltowns, for sustainability, and to help our families support each other.”
At the meeting, Mason, who owns Moss Hill tree farm in Russell and Sign Grafx Group in Easthampton, connected with Gateway junior Dylan Mosher, who is interested in gaining entrepreneurial skills to help expand his family tree business, also located in Russell.
Michele Klemaszewski of the Southern Hilltown Adult Education Center (SHAEC), which is located at Gateway and which hosted the meeting, spoke of its 13-year history of offering educational classes for the community, some of which are taught by local business owners. Last year, for example, JLBA member Stuart Besnoff, who owns Alpine Solar Heat and Hot Water in Windsor, taught a popular class on designing your own solar hot water heater. Other class offerings include GED classes, art, and computer classes from beginning to advanced.
