Nearly 400 seventh and eighth grade students from Indian Valley and Garaway school districts spent Tuesday, May 5, exploring career opportunities across Tuscarawas County as part of the East Central Ohio Educational Service Center’s (ECOESC) Middle School Career Connections program.
The 397 students gathered at the Kent State University at Tuscarawas Performing Arts Center for a morning kickoff before heading out to visit 16 different area businesses across the county.
Diane Lautenschleger of the Tuscarawas County Convention and Visitors Bureau opened the day by highlighting the Live. Work. Learn. Play. campaign, which encourages young people to consider building their futures right here in Tuscarawas County.
Students, who had completed an interest survey prior to the event, were divided into groups based on their career interests and boarded buses to visit participating employers. The site visits gave students a firsthand look at daily operations and the wide range of careers available within each organization. Business representatives also shared what education and training pathways students would need to pursue those careers.
Participating businesses included Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital, SpringVale Health Centers, Tuscarawas County Health Department, Valley View Animal Hospital, Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Department, SSB Community Bank, DoverPhila Credit Union, ProVia, nuCamp RV, Benchmark Construction, Allied Machine & Engineering, Dutchman Hospitality Group, Historic Schoenbrunn, the Kent State Tuscarawas Performing Arts Center, the ECOESC IT Department and the ECOESC Education Field.
After spending several hours at their assigned sites, students returned to Kent State Tuscarawas for a closing session focused on planning for their futures. Frank Polen from Buckeye Career Center and Taylor Easlick from Kent State Tuscarawas spoke to students about the programs and opportunities available through their respective institutions and emphasized the importance of setting goals and developing a vision for the future.
The ECOESC Middle School Career Connections program is designed to bridge the gap between local schools and employers while inspiring students to consider the rewarding career options available in their own communities. Through hands-on, real-world experiences, students gain exposure to local industries, training options and the skills today’s workforce demands.
