SHIPPENVILLE, Pa. (EYT) — The Clarion County Career Center held its first Career and Technical “Letter of Intent Signing Day” on Friday, May 11.
(Pictured above: Swartfager Welding, Left to Right — Braiden Cochran, Quentin Best, Curtis McKinney, Ken Swartfager, Corey Best, Michael Fox, and Zachary Whitling. Missing from photo: Nicklas Bowser.)
The event allowed senior students to “take a page out of the playbook” of high school athletes who sign letters of intent to play college sports. Students signed symbolic letters of intent indicating they plan to accept employment offers related to their field of study after graduation. The letters were also signed by the employer/business representative and Kirk Atwood, Career Center Director.
The idea for the ceremony came from a Facebook posting from Henrico County Public Schools’ Career and Technical Education program, which was shared by Mike Rowe from Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs.” Mike wrote on his Facebook page, “This is the way forward, no attempt to close the skills gap will ever succeed, until or unless we celebrate those who are willing to learn a skill that’s in demand.”
Kirk Atwood, Director at the Career Center stated, “We are incredibly proud of the work that our students do every day. It is beyond satisfying to see that local employers recognize that the Career Center is producing top-notch employees. We have no greater goal than to ensure that our Clarion County students have the opportunity to stick around and become Clarion County adults. The partnerships that these businesses and our school work to foster make certain that this goal can become a reality.”
There are eight employers who made job offers and were recognized at the event: Ken Swartfager from Swartfager Welding; Mia Stiller and Stacy Shaffer from Training Towards Self Reliance (TTSR); Tom Seidle from Seidle Chevrolet Buick GMC; Brian Jones from Armstrong County 911; Keith Woolam from Quality Car Wash Systems; Zacherl Motors; JC Penney Salon; and RMI (a security company for AK Steel).
Sixteen students have accepted offers of employment after graduating: Corey Best, Quentin Best, Nicklas Bowser, Curtis McKinney, Braiden Cochran, Michael Fox, Zachary Whitling (Swartfager Welding); Krista Greenawalt and Alaina Stark (TTSR); Mason Groner (Seidle Chevrolet); Keaton Minich (Zacherl Motors); Autumn Rapp (Armstrong County 911); Blake Woolam (Quality Car Wash Systems); Taylor Cooper (JC Penney Salon); and Cody Moore and Adam Perkins (RMI).
The Career Center looks forward to expanding this event next year to include not only the students and employers but also parents, special guests and members of the media. The event is a way to celebrate the students, employers, local area jobs and success of career and technical education.
Armstrong County 911: Left to Right — Autumn Rapp, Brian Jones, and Kirk Atwood.
Seidle Chevrolet Buick GMC: Left to Right — Mason Groner, Tom Seidle, and Kirk Atwood.
Training Towards Self Reliance (TTSR): Left to Right — Mia Stiller, Stacy Shaffer, Krista Greenawalt, and Alaina Stark.
Quality Car Wash Systems: Left to Right: Blake Woolam, Keith Woolam, Kirk Atwood
Zacherl Motors: Left to Right — Keaton Minich, Kirk Atwood
JC Penney Salon: Left to Right — Bridget O’Brien-Cosmetology Instructor, Taylor Cooper, Kirk Atwood
RMI: Left to Right — Chris Richardson-Police Science Instructor, Adam Perkins, Cody Moore, Kirk Atwood
