CTE Program Enables Youth to go for “a Ride”

Jan 24, 2018 | Article

Traditional educational approaches often focus on theory as opposed to practical application, which does not define STEM CTE programs, according to Frank Xydias, engineering instructor at Milford High School & Applied Technology Center in Milford.

“Many of the problems we solve in STEM classes are open-ended and grounded in solving real-world problems,” he said.

Such real-world problems often involve the needs of real people, which was precisely the case with Morgan Peterson, a 11-year-old middle school student, who last year presented Xydias and his students with a unique opportunity.

“I met Morgan’s mom at one of our STEAM nights, and she told me about her daughter’s issues with riding a bike,” he said. “Morgan has a prosthetic arm and her bike adaptor made riding her bike in comfort just about impossible.”

In approaching Xydias about the possibility his students could solve her daughter’s problem, Meg Peterson, who works in the district as a Title 1 Coordinator at the elementary level, said she was excited at the prospect.

“My husband and I had talked about it, and I began to wonder if Frank and the kids could work on building her an adaptor for her bike,” she said. “He floated the idea to the students and they were very enthusiastic about it.”

No one, however, was more enthusiastic than Morgan herself provided Xydias and the students satisfied her one condition.

“My first reaction was that I wanted to work with them,” she said.

She did work with them, according to her mom, who said it was “pretty amazing” to see her daughter work and interact with high school students.

“It was great to see her just walking around with those high school students—it was like a think tank thing,” she said.

According to Meg, the students and her daughter designed solutions that were consequently printed via a 3D printer. Noting the team produced several iterations up the adaptor before the final version, Meg said the entire process was “incredible” and serves to bolster her belief in the power of STEM and STEAM in general.

“Those STEAM events bring out the most diverse amount of students—and it’s not just robotics or certain kind of students,” she said. STEAM is for everyone…It’s great to see kids finding their niche early, solving problems and stretching themselves in new and different ways. It’s wonderful to see kids find their passion in this area.”

Citing her own interest in pursuing CTE in either manufacturing or the culinary arts when she is in high school, Morgan said the best thing about her collaboration with Xydias’ team is that she loves to ride her bike.

“It works great,” she said. “I can ride it as long as I want—it never hurt my shoulder.”

As for what advice she might give other students her age who might be thinking about their respective futures, Morgan said CTE taught her something very important.

“It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, you can always find a way to solve the problem,” she said.

Employment Pipeline Gets a Boost

Jan 17, 2018 | Article

One of the biggest challenges facing employers today is how to connect with today’s students to create a working employment pipeline. This challenge may have been ameliorated recently with a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division ruling on January 5, which provides less stringent guidelines regarding internships.

According to Doug Cullen of Pinkerton Academy, the most notable change is the elimination of the statement, “The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern.”

“That statement has historically been a big hurdle for many employers apprehensive to bring on unpaid interns,” he said. “It’s a big win for employers across New Hampshire and the nation.”

While noting that employer-provided work experiences need to maintain their educational focus, Cullen noted that the current mandates should provide employers with many new opportunities.

“I think they are going to be able to look at schools with a much more creative eye and much less fear of crossing into illegal territory,” he said.

To learn more about the ruling and internship programs under current law, visit https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs71.pdf.
Other recent developments in the state include a new website by the NH Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NH MEP), which was designed to help streamline the process by which students connect-to-industry. The rationale for the site is as follows:

“NH MEP has always been committed to helping build the future manufacturing workforce in New Hampshire. But we know high school, middle school and community college students in New Hampshire, who are looking for a career in or learning about manufacturing, are finding it difficult to find those jobs and internships. This has led NH MEP to create a new web portal to help you and your students search for manufacturing jobs and internships. The portal can also help you schedule a visit with a New Hampshire manufacturer.”

On the site, students can search for jobs and internships from qualified New Hampshire manufacturers. For more information, visit www.nhmepworksource.com.

Informational Industry Tours a Big Hit at SST

Jan 4, 2018 | Article

In early December, dozens of school counselors, school board members and administrators attended an Informational Industry Tour at the Seacoast School of Technology (SST) in Exeter. At this event, the focus was on the Restaurant, Hotel and Hospitality Industry, according to Equity Counselor Sharon Spooner.

“Our aim for providing this tour was for school counselors, administrators and anyone working with students to have a better understanding of all the possible career opportunities that exist in this fields,” she said.

Last month, SST provided a bus for counselors and school board members to take a tour of the Automobile Industry.

“We toured two different local dealerships and were introduced to the many different career opportunities that exist in that industry,” she said. “It’s not just the sales people or the technicians, but also in the areas of service, diagnosis, parts, computer technicians and so on–these are all well paying jobs that they need people to fill.”

At The Exeter Inn and Epoch Restaurant & Bar, which is where December’s tour was held, General Manager Thomas DeSisto spoke about the qualities they look for in employees as well as his own story and how his experiences early in life helped shape him.

“Having a chance to educate counselors and others about what we do and the scope of available career paths from entry level to senior management is very exciting,” he said.

Justin York, school counselor at Newmarket High School, said these tours provide him and others with a “behind the scenes look at industries that on the surface may have historically had a reputation as being less-than-glamorous.”

“We get to talk with people who have different roles at these locations, learn about what they do, the paths that brought them there, and how our students can follow a similar path to be successful,” he said.

Noting the group met with DeSisto, the Director of Sales and Catering, and the Head Chef, York said each provided an overview of the different career opportunities available at The Exeter Inn and Epoch Restaurant & Bar and how our students can access careers in the Hospitality industry.

“Growing up in Exeter, I had been to The Exeter Inn a number of times, but it was fun to see some of the areas that are normally ‘off limits’ to guests,” he said. “They really have a first class operation over there, and I think it could be a great fit for some of our students.”

In looking ahead, York said he uses his experiences from these tours to have “more robust discussions” with students about what a career looks like in these industries.

“My hope is that students will begin to understand that there are excellent opportunities for lucrative careers in these industries all around the Seacoast,” he added.

In commenting on the success of December’s tour, DeSisto expressed appreciation at SST’s larger role in the community.

“In a day and age where so much onus is put on higher education, even though the cost of higher education continues to rise, SST provides their students with knowledge and skills that allow them to enter the work force immediately after they graduate–if not before–without the burden of debt that can be crushing at such a young age,” he explained.

He said SST and other Career and Technical Schools serve an even more critical role given the state’s all-time low employment rate.

“Having an influx of hungry entry level workers into the thin applicant pool is great for all local businesses,” he added.

To learn more about The Exeter Inn and Epoch Restaurant & Bar, which is owned by Hay Creek Hotels, visit https://www.theexeterinn.com. To learn more about SST, visit https://www.seacoasttech.com.