Posted by: Asher Nichols, owner of Asher Nichols & Craftsmen, and Director Chair of Workforce Development Committee

Our goal has always been to work with what we have……. And we have SO much!

So let’s continue to celebrate what we have and work with it to make the best opportunities possible for students interested in the Trades.

I’d like to personally thank the fine people at Medford Voc Tech High School in Medford, MA. This has been a tough year and a half to be a human. And, together, we made a difference in many students’ lives and futures. THANK YOU!

Step 1 – Tell us you’re interested in making a difference (marketing@pro-ne.org).

Step 2 – Help to find the right school in your area where you can drive easily to.

Step 3 – Introduce yourself to the Instructor for the Junior and Senior class in the Career and Technical Ed Dept.

Step 4 – Put the date of the Program Advisory Board Meetings on your calendar and show up (Usually Fall and Spring each year). These are usually in the evening for an hour.

Step 5 – Offer your company to the Board as a resource.

That’s it!!

Instructors in the carpentry program are so engaged and enthusiastic about getting kids out into real-world experiences that very quickly you will establish a rapport. The teachers are actively looking for opportunities for Junior and Senior students. Talk about what your company can provide for an experience to see if any students have further interest.

After deciding that a student’s help has value onsite, see the previous article on how you can afford to hire a student now!, you could then be ready for a formal CO-OP process. The commitment for the student is one week on-site and one week @ School.

The students are eager to explore their interests in the Trades in a real and tangible way. As members of our industry, we CAN give them that and the framework is here in front of us.