Last week, Central Minnesota Jobs & Training Services (CMJTS) hosted its College Test-Drive Week, where students 17 to 21 years old got to see what it was like to work in healthcare and manufacturing.

 

“It was a chance for them to have experience on a college campus so they can learn some hands-on skills and potentially enroll in a program to get training for a higher paying job,” says Jennifer Carl employment specialist with CMJTS, “so they can be self-sufficient.” 

 

The program selected graduating seniors from a number of different schools - Buffalo, Monticello, Big Lake, Zimmerman, Annandale, Maple Lake, Howard Lake and alternative learning center schools in Buffalo. Most were referred by school guidance counselors.

 

“These are graduating seniors who may be struggling with where to go from here type questions,” says Carl. “A lot of kids had some idea what they wanted but weren’t quite sure what direction to go or what to do next.”

 

There were two different “pathway” opportunities - healthcare and manufacturing. Both took place at Anoka Technical College.

 

The healthcare program primarily worked on skills to get certification as a personal care attendant (PCA). A college nursing instructor taught students hands-on skills, like giving bed baths, taking blood pressure, oral care, foot care and transferring patients from one place to another.  “At the end of the week they toured Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids to get a taste of what it’s like in the healthcare industry,” says Carl. 

 

Anoka Tech admissions counselors did a presentation so the students could learn how to apply to the school and get financial aid. The week concluded with a tour of the Workforce Center to explain about all the services available there.

 

The manufacturing component was a mix of activities. It started with mechanical drafting.

 

“They learned how to  design a part on a computer using a 3-D software program,” says Carl. “Part of the group did forklift training to earn credentials which will help them get an above minimum wage job.”

 

Students learned different skills involved in welding, plasma cutting and also spent time with the college auto technician.

 

“They were taking apart brakes and grinding down the rotors,” says Carl.

 

Then the group was given a tour of Sportech, a design and engineering company in Elk River.

 

“The kids got a chance to see manufacturing careers in action,” says Tim Zipoy, business resource representative at CMJTS. “And they sure were engaged. I could tell a couple of them really had some inspiration.”

 

Carl says a few of the students discovered something about themselves during the week.

 

“A couple of them found out it was the direction they wanted to go,” she says. “One student decided he wanted to be a nurse. When we met with him two or three months ago he said he liked helping people but had no idea what he want to do. This really helped him to figure out what he wanted to do and find a pathway to his career.”

 

That student will be meeting staff in July to help apply to Anoka Technical College this fall.

 

Zipoy says local businesses are a big part of the success of the program, which needs partners like Sportech, Mercy Hospital and Central McGowan in Monticello, which donated welding supplies and materials.

 

Each student was required to fill out a survey about their experience. That survey will be used to evaluate the program.

 

The program, which is state and federally funded, ran from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Mon.- Fri. simulating an entire week of learning, so students got the feel of participating in a regular work week.