Meet Adam Cianciola, a Wellington student enrolled in our high school Interactive Multimedia Technology program. Adam shares some of the reasons he chose to come to the JVS (the professional environment, the hands-on learning experiences) and showcases some of the cool projects he and his fellow students are involved with right now. We hope you enjoy meeting one of our successful students and learning more about the career field he has chosen!
One of the most important roles the JVS Adult Career Center offers to our community is workforce retraining. Whether an individual is interested in starting a new career, improving current job skills or enhancing his or her daily life, we focus our efforts on getting Lorain County to work. This week’s video features Irene Kellett, who came to us to train for a new career after retirement. In our Medical Asssisting class, she and her fellow students discovered that they all came from different places in their lives–and that they and their instructors were all there to support one another to ensure success. She credits the hands-on training in our new Medical Technology Lab and additional support services (such as the ability to come back to brush up on skills before an interview) as key components to her success. Whatever the magic formula, we are proud to share that Irene is now employed at Mercy Hospitals. We hope you enjoy meeting her just as much as we have.
This year the JVS Adult Career Center has helped more adults than ever before prepare for and receive their GED. The class, which is free, is effective for a number of reasons, I think. Our classes are conducted in a small-group setting, instructors care about them and give them tons of homework, and testing is done right here at the JVS in the setting that is already comfortable and familiar to them. It’s a program we are very, very proud of, and we applaud each of our students who are poised to go on and do more amazing things.
This week’s video features Bruce, who not only earned his GED this year, but came back to the JVS as a tutor for our students. He will be this year’s speaker during our completion ceremony which will be held this Thursday, June 9th, to celebrate all of our students who successfully completed 600 hours or more of training. We are proud to share that the audience will be filled with nearly 100 of our GED students and their family members as we recognize their achievements.
As educators, it is always a proud moment when our students go on to achieve great things. Especially when those students become so skilled that we hire them as team members within our organization. It’s a really amazing feeling to be surrounded by people who attended the JVS in high school, furthered their education in the adult career center, and now work here full time. This week, meet Travis Williams, an Amherst Exempted School District resident who graduated from the NCT program three years ago. He explains how his experience with his instructor Joe Todd and the NCT program’s work-based learning component helped to prepare him for the challenges he deals with daily as an IT technician at the Lorain County JVS (goodness knows he’s solved more than a few of my computer glitches for me…thank you Travis!) We hope you enjoy meeting him as much as we enjoy working with him.
These days, it’s difficult to get very far if you don’t have your high school diploma under your belt. Many employers, especially in today’s competitive job market, screen candidates on this one qualification alone. That’s why the Lorain County JVS Adult Career Center partners in the Lorain County ABLE/GED (Adult Basic and Literacy Education) consortium–our instructors work in small groups to help Lorain County residents prepare for and pass the GED test. The program is free, and both day and evening programs are available to suit scheduling challenges for adults in our area. And after the GED test is passed? Individuals can then go on to get a job, or further their skills through career development programs at the Lorain County JVS. One of our recent students, Molly Hogan, used her passage of the GED as a catalyst to begin summer classes towards a degree in Preschool Education. Hear her experience with the JVS by watching the video below. To contact our ABLE/GED program coordinator, call 440.774.1051 ext. 2241.
Some people were just born to perform certain trades. A prime example is our own Mike Carpenter, who is enrolled in the JVS Adult Career Center Building Trades program. (Now how funny is that? His last name is Carpenter and he’s studying the building trades?) Mike’s goal after completing this 9-month program is to secure employment as a general contractor, and to build his own home. This program is a great way to learn how to do just that. Students of this program build a house within the walls of the JVS as they learn hands-on skills in disciplines such as Masonry, Electronicity, Carpentry, Plubming, Heating and Air Installation, and Finishing. From the first design blueprints to the last shingle, these students do it all. Click here to meet Mike and see the beginnings of their project for yourself!
Meet Cosmetology student LaShawna Jones, who has been coming to the JVS since she was 9 years old. Want to make an appointment at our salon? The high school runs appointments during the day, and is generally open Tuesday through Friday, 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on most school days. Customer services are performed on a first come, first served basis, but appointments are strongly encouraged. Call 440/774-1051, ext. 2373. Evening appointments are run by our adult students. This full service salon is usually open Tuesday through Thursdays, from 5-8:30pm, year round. Call 440/774-1051 ext. 2254.
OK, get ready for cute. In this segment, Kristen Smith, one of our senior Early Childhood Education students, interviews some of her classmates about why they chose the JVS and how the program is preparing them for their future as child care professionals. As an added bonus, Kristen has shared some testimonials from our Pre-School students–and I think you’ll be enlightened by their responses. A special thanks to the parents of these young ones for permission to share their stories, and for the honor of spending time with them each day. From belly buttons to spiderman, they have so much to give!
Kathy Kleinman has experienced many facets of the Lorain County JVS–as a student of the JVS Adult Career Center’s Computerized Business Technology (CBT) program, a consultant through our customized business services division, and now as an employee of our NASA CORE office. She’s just about seen it all! We hope you enjoy her story, which was digitally captured and edited by Jan Mitchell and Liz Toth, employees of the JVS. If you look closely, you’ll see the photos on the wall behind her are archived materials from NASA, now on display at the new NASA CORE office in the eco-friendly renovation made possible by our JVS high school students and business partners. More on that story is available here: http://www.lcjvs.com/news/565/
Heather Campbell, a 2010 JVS graduate from Columbia High School, discusses her national travel experiences made possible through the program. By competing in opportunities all across the United States, she earned scholarships galore from such respected institutions as Le Cordon Bleau, Johnson & Wales University, and others. Heather is now attending the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. We can’t wait to hear about where her career takes her next!
