Page 11 - Demo

An innovative new program is offering students an exclusive peek inside local businesses, where they can learn about career possibilities first hand. Grow Local, an initiative of the Greenville- Pitt County Chamber of Commerce, invites students into businesses to learn more about how the businesses operate. They can talk with employees about their work, and get to know what a day on the job is really like. Seeing the excitement of welcoming newcomers to town shows what the hospitality industry is all about, an insider’s view that can attract local talent to businesses.
“We have endless potential employees, and we want to keep them here in Pitt County,” says Kate Teel, chamber vice president. “When students visit these businesses, they can see for themselves what’s needed, and what their potential future could look like.” For employers, Grow Local means introducing themselves to students, and having the chance to win them over.
“We would like to close the skills gap,” Teel says. “It’s something our community really needs.”
Teel is among the community leaders who developed Grow Local after they saw the success of the Careerockit program in Omaha, Neb. That program welcomed more than 20,000 students into businesses in 2018, showing them pathways into careers, while also building the connections to help them advance professionally. Grow Local — like Careerockit — aims to support local industries who need qualified staff, while also giving students a window onto jobs in their own backyard they may not know about – a glimpse into their future.
In Greenville, the first Grow Local tours started in summer 2018, when one hundred kids from the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Coastal Plain visited the Hilton, BB&T, Hyster-Yale Group, Greenville Utilities Commission, and the City of Greenville. When students experience these workplaces personally, they can imagine a future for themselves — and begin taking the courses, gaining the experience, and plotting the training they’ll need for success. Teel expects to the program will grow to include hundreds of students, and in the future, perhaps thousands.
Already, she says, Grow Local is having an effect.
“We have students who walk away and say, ‘I didn’t realize I could do something like that,’” she says. For example, when a utilities staff member explained how to install a gas line, they realized that it meant working with equipment they relate to video games. “One student said, ‘This is what I want to do when I grow up,’” Teel says.
She hopes that type of excitement will grow as students have more exposure to more businesses.
“Having a successful program would be to lift the veil on our local businesses, and for students to find a goal and continue their path in that direction,” she says. “Seeing the program have an effect is what we’re hoping for.” Businesses, too, like the program. “It has been well received,” she says.
The program will focus on middle and high school students, who may not know about the many types of jobs they can aim for, says Dr. Christopher Locklear, Chamber of Commerce board chairman. Because of its rich relationships with local businesses, the Chamber can take a central role in opening doors for students.
“There are multiple educational pathways, and you can have a great career locally,” Locklear says. “Some of our great career pathways may be hidden, and the chamber can be a great convener.”
“For business, it’s an opportunity to connect with — and hold onto — local talent. For schools, it means strengthening local relationships, and making sure we’re preparing students for the jobs of today and of the future. We can help make sure all students have equal opportunities.”
Ideally, Grow Local will serve as a stepping stone for the businesses and students, who can — after graduation — find internships, shadowing opportunities, and even a career.
“Students may not otherwise know about the opportunities here,” Teel says. “So before they move away to find their ‘dream job,’ we want them to know you can learn a trade, and earn a great salary, right here in Pitt County.”
www.greenvillenc.org/glimpse 11
“STUDENTS MAY NOT OTHERWISE KNOW ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES HERE... SO BEFORE THEY MOVE AWAY TO FIND THEIR ‘DREAM JOB,’ WE WANT THEM TO KNOW YOU CAN LEARN A TRADE, AND EARN A GREAT SALARY, RIGHT HERE IN PITT COUNTY.”