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Business advisory panel helps Youngstown School District
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Hathorn
By Denise Dick
Youngstown
City schools Superintendent Connie Hathorn has gathered a committee of business professionals to aid the school district in preparing students for the work world.
The 23-member business advisory committee, formed about six months ago, includes business owners and representatives across different industries.
“I wanted to get businesses to buy back into the school system, and we needed an advisory board to help see how the schools can fit in with businesses,” Hathorn said. “The key is to focus on students.”
Committee members help the district know what businesses expect from students as they enter the work force. It also allows the district to promote the career and technical programs within the district, such as those at Choffin Career and Technical Center, to prospective employers.
“It’s been an asset,” the superintendent said. “It’s given us a chance to get some feedback — what they can do to help me and what I can do to get kids ready for the work force. They took a tour of Choffin and were really shocked. They were not aware of all programs we have there.”
While there’s a perception that there are no available jobs, Hathorn said, he hears from BAC members that there are jobs, but not enough qualified people to fill them.
He hopes the committee will help to change that.
“Kids need to be made aware of what’s out there,” Hathorn said.
Barb Ewing, chief executive officer at the Youngstown Business Incubator, is a committee member.
“We live in a technological world and people need to have those skills,” she said.
Committee members share information and try to help the schools understand employer needs, but the committee’s role also may evolve, Ewing said.
“It’s also entirely possible that there are practical, real world applications for this,” she said.
Bert Cene, director of the Mahoning and Columbiana Training Association, was asked to be involved with BAC by Joe Meranto, Choffin’s director.
“The role of the committee is to really look at the future of careers for school students and to take a look at how to explain to them the potential for careers in the business world,” Cene said.
It focuses a lot on career and technical centers, he said.
“Businesses come to me saying they cannot find certain types of individuals [to fill jobs] whether it’s machinists or welders or another job,” the MCTA director said.
There are a lot of opportunities available for students if they have the right training, he said.
Hathorn is working to encourage students, even those at young ages, to start thinking about career possibilities, Cene said.
“It’s a great asset to do that,” he said. “We need to start moving people in that direction. If not college, then there are other opportunities out there, and we need to move them in that direction.”