Fort Meadow student Janiell Ortiz Rivera with Stephen Gonglik from the Westfield Police Department. (Submitted photo)
WESTFIELD – The Westfield Education 2 Business Alliance met on Friday at Reed Institute in Westfield to continue work on two tracks developing from the partnership: career fairs for all grade levels in the schools, and adult-student mentorships.
The career fairs are taking different shapes for different ages, beginning with pre-schoolers at Fort Meadow Early Childhood Center, which held its annual Transportation Day on Thursday. For the fifth year in a row, different businesses and city departments brought large service vehicles and trucks to the school for the children to enjoy.
“All of these people came with all of their vehicles. We tweaked what we had, and made it into more of a career day,” said Fort Meadow principal Joanne Hentnick. Vehicles included a huge bucket attachment from Interstate Towing, a dump truck from the DPW, an electric motorcycle and police cruiser from the police department, an excavator from Westfield Gas & Electric, and a big new fire truck and ambulance from the fire department. Westfield Technical Academy’s horticulture program sent a bobcat, and aviation sent a glider.
Fort Meadow Student Adam Harnden & students from Westfield Technical Aviation Maintenance program, who brought a glider to Transportation Day at Fort Meadow. (Submitted photo)
Hentnick said that all the vehicles were parked in the back parking lot, and classes took turns visiting each one, and asking questions to the adult staff who were there in support. They got to sit in the driver’s seat of many of the vehicles, and even speak on the ham radio of the electric motorcycle.
“A shout out to staff with vehicles that came and explained to the children what they did. It was amazing to see,” said Hentnick.
Fort Meadow Student Audrina Whittaker with Mike Staples from Westfield Gas and Electric. (Submitted photo)
Elementary Schools are also underway designing their career fairs. Beginning with Southampton Road School just before Christmas, schools are inviting parents and members of the community to come in and speak to the children about what they do for a living.
Paper Mill elementary school is holding its career day on June 14. Principal Cynthia Kennedy, who was at Friday’s meeting, said she is connecting parents to classrooms, and is reaching out to businesses to get involved.
Also being planned on June 16 is a career fair at Westfield State University’s Woodward Center for Westfield High School juniors and Westfield Technical Academy sophomores and juniors, in two separate shifts. Westfield Gas & Electric has offered to sponsor the transportation for the students to the university.
The Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce will send flyers to area businesses, inviting them to set up tables and share their work and the types of skills and education they are looking for in prospective employees. The Chamber will also serve as the point of contact for businesses to sign up.
Kate Phelon, Chamber director, said this will be a job opportunity for the students and a networking opportunity for businesses. “Even businesses don’t know about other businesses,” she said.
The middle schools are taking a slightly different tack for a career day on October 17 in the North Middle School gymnasium. Businesses will be invited to set up tables and speak to teachers and staff about what they do, and the kinds of education and skills they are seeking in prospective employees. Chris Tolpa, supervisor of humanities K-12 for the district, said the idea will be to build community relationships and business partnerships, and help teachers to learn how to educate students for needed skills in the workforce.
The other track being developed through the education and business partnership is individual mentorships for students. WPS Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski said 24 people from both the business community and the district have signed up to date. The first training for mentors, which is being sponsored by the United Way of Pioneer Valley and Mass Mentoring Partnership, was held last week, and another is being planned on May 9, 8 a.m. to 12 noon at Tighe & Bond.
“Once they complete the training, mentors will be assigned to specific schools,” Czaporowski said. He said he will connect mentors with principals at the schools, who will identify students for the program.
Tina Macy, Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS) coordinator, said that volunteers with questions may also contact her at 572-6345 or email [email protected].
At the start of the meeting, Phelon announced that she has been asked to serve on a panel on May 10 for The Rennie Center’s “Condition of Education in Western Massachusetts,” to speak about the work of the WE2BA alliance. “Word is getting out,” Phelon said.
