Students explore careers through Middle College

Brett Tomboc is preparing for his senior year at Parkview High School, but instead of enjoying a leisurely summer break, he's hard at work, with an eye toward his professional future.

Tomboc, who is working as many as 30 hours a week this summer at O'Reilly Auto Parts, is a member of the inaugural class of Ozarks Technical Community College's Middle College program, which takes some Springfield high school students out of traditional classrooms and puts them into the work force.

OTC Middle College Coordinator LaRaine Bauer said the 32 students in the first year of the two-year program come predominantly from two groups: those who are bright and capable but struggle because they aren't challenged by traditional classes, and those who are ready to move on to a more adult setting.

"We wanted to offer an opportunity for the student who is ready to move on, ready to be done with high school and look more at a career," Bauer said, noting that Middle College matches students in one of two career paths - either diesel/automotive or early childhood education - with companies willing to give students on-the-job training through internships.

Career paths

The program is free to students who qualify; students interested in participating have to meet attendance and grade requirements, as well as pass an OTC assessment and be recommended for the program by a Springfield Public Schools guidance counselor.

Tomboc, who wants to work in auto mechanics, has learned from two employers through Middle College. He spent two months as an intern at Northeast Diesel Service of Springfield, 2153 E. Division St., and he's worked at the O'Reilly Auto Parts store on East Kearney since April.

"I order parts and help customers with service - not just cars, but trucks, lawn mowers, tractors, agricultural vehicles," Tomboc said. "I've learned a lot ... just because I'm talking about cars all day, and every part of cars."

Middle College will welcome 48 juniors during the 2009-10 school year, in addition to the 32 seniors completing their final year.

The new students will have access to a third career track, medical services. Bauer said both CoxHealth and St. John's have agreed to offer internships beginning in the spring.

"We know how important the health field is to this area, and we were fortunate that when we met with CoxHealth and later with St. John's, they were willing to work with students that are young, green, developing their employability skills and help train them on site," Bauer said.

All Middle College participants get college credit in addition to their training. Some students, including Tomboc, also get paid for their work, though that decision and the amount of pay is up to individual host employers.

Benefits for both sides

Bauer said some of the employers working with the program - a list that includes City Utilities, Central State Core Supply, St. John's Daycare and Isabel's House - initially expressed reservations about working with inexperienced students. After a semester of internships, however, she said most changed their tune.

"When we met at the end of the semester, they said the guys and women working with the young people really got into it - it was fun for them to mentor and teach and train," she said. "It lightened up the environment."

That was the experience at City Utilities, where Fleet Manager Joe Gorski had two Middle College interns in his department last spring. He plans to work with two more when the school year begins.

Gorski said when he approached his employees about the possibility of working one-on-one with trainees, he had more interest than he had students to place.

"It's great exposure not just to the mechanics field but to the working world," Gorski said. "Then as they gained abilities and skills, our mechanics let them do a little more as time went on."

And the benefits aren't just for the high-school participants, Gorski said. Employee mentors have shown a genuine interest in making sure the students learn and are put on the path to success.

"Whether they go into the field of mechanics or not, I think, is almost immaterial," he said. "I think it was a great life experience for them that hopefully gets them on the right track."

OTC's Bauer said motivating students has been the goal of the program from the beginning - along with creating a pipeline of trained employees in fields that need manpower.

"We sat down with employers around town to determine which career pathways we should select ... to make sure there would be jobs available at the end of the process," she said. "We wanted to know that these were positions where there are shortages."

For instance, Bauer said OTC has talked with the Southwest Area Manufacturers Association and with local construction industry leaders about adding programs in those areas, but economic conditions have hampered those efforts.

"I'm uncomfortable asking our employers to give interns a lot of hours when they say they've had to lay off a guy with a family of four because of the economy," she said. "We want to make sure our interns never replace a worker."

The concept seems to have worked in at least one case. Tomboc's boss, O'Reilly Store Manager Bill Stewart, said the student has been a real asset.

"He's young, goes after it, picks up on things quickly, and knows his way around a computer," Stewart said. "It's been a big benefit for us, and ... as long as he continues to do well, we're going to keep him."[[In-content Ad]]