Nationally circulated “Urban Educator” Magazine features TPS “School to Work” program profile with prominent spotlight on role of Lakeside Interior Contractors.
Read the article below, featured by WTOL 11, about the revolutionary local school program.
TPS school-to-work program gets students career ready
Thursday, May 5th 2016, 7:25 pm CST
Thursday, May 5th 2016, 7:25 pm CST
Posted by WTOL StaffCONNECT
Reporting by Steven Jackson, ReporterCONNECT
TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) –
Toledo Public School students are always busy learning, but some are learning even more outside the classroom thanks to the school-to-work program.
The program allows students to get hands on experience in the work force.
Boston Demecs is a senior at Waite High School and will be graduating in two weeks.
But for the past two weeks he’s been spending the last three hours of his school day at a construction site in Perrysburg.
“I’ve done some metal framing, like you seen, some dry wall and some cleaning up,” said Boston.
It’s all a part of the school-to-work program that allows TPS students to work with contractors.
Boston is working with Lakeside Interiors. They’re building the new athletic complex for Perrysburg High School.
Boston says during his freshman year of high school he started to go down a bad path, but this program has given him a second chance.
“If it wasn’t for really this carpentry program, I probably wouldn’t be anywhere really,” said Boston.
“You know, Boston and all the kids that are coming through school are having different issues with different things, as far as kids lives go on. You know, college isn’t for everybody and this finds something positive to put their energy behind, something they’re good at and gives them some direction, I think that’s real important for some kids,” said carpenter Rob Materni.
More than a dozen students are a part of the program and several local contractors are used.
Students getting hands-on training all while getting paid.
“We’re providing on-job and on-site opportunities for our students in high school to develop pre-apprenticeships in the school system, you know, when we’re talking about college and career ready this is it,” said TPS Superintendent Dr. Romules Durant.
Boston hopes to land a job once he graduates, and with this training, he’s confident he’ll go far.