In The Know with Dr. Joe: Career Development Opportunities

Hey everybody and welcome to In the Know with Dr. Joe. I am Joe Clark, superintendent of the South Burlington schools and I'm so glad you're here with us and I'm so glad kids are back. We here we are in September. students have returned, which is why we do what we do. And we're so excited that uh your children are with us and we're doing great things with them. And I've got a just an incredible show for you today because you're going to hear about some of the awesome things that we're doing to prepare your kids to get out into the real world and get awesome jobs and all this. So, I have two guests today. Nikki St. Mary, you are at the high school. I am. >> Tell a little bit about what your position is and what you do there. >> All right. Well, this is my 25th year at South Burlington High School. I was actually Kristen's school counselor back in the day. I won't say what year she graduated. >> 20 years ago, I think we all know. >> They made me all say I just ruined it for you. >> Yeah. So, uh 19 years as a traditional school counselor. Um and the last six years I've been doing career development, flexible pathways, work-based learning, um which has been super fun. >> That's awesome. And I want to talk about a lot of those things you do. But first, let's jump in and introduce Kristen Bovich, who you are a South Burlington grad. 20 years. >> Yep. 20 years. 2006. It's terrifying. Uh, didn't realize that number until I contacted Nikki to ask if she would help put together our event, which is really focused around student career exploration. >> And we're going to talk a lot about that, too. So, you are the CEO, chief operating officer of Workforce in Motion. >> That is correct. >> Which we'll get into in just a second. So Nikki, I want to uh um talk to you first because of all the your program or the the position you have is just really really cool. Yeah. >> Um and in my um experiences there I haven't um run around places that have had that position and what a great position it is. >> Yeah. >> Talk about some of the things that you're doing for our kids. >> Sure. Yeah. Um oh gosh, a lot of things and they're all super fun. Um so I made a little list of the things that we have coming up this fall. I actually have six students going to Vermont Construction Academy doing a school day program. Um, and they're going to leave apprenticeship ready certifications that they need. Um, which is really exciting. I'm headed to Beta Technologies in a few weeks with a group of students. We get to get in their simulator and um, tour their manufacturing area. We might even get to see a a plane takeoff. Um, I have some students too doing um the webinar that the Federal Aviation Administration is doing um because they're real interested in aviation mechanics. I'm doing a health sciences career fair. >> Yeah. So, you're doing things for kids that uh they they certainly may go to college, but it's also a wider spectrum of of professional experiences that they have. You might do all kinds of programming for those kids. Take them on field trips and you send me emails all the time about the awesome things that they've done. shameless self-promotion. Um well, and like what we're going to take the entire 10th grade class and really whoever else wants to go, juniors and seniors, to the Workforce in Motion Summit at the end of the month, which is going to be amazing opportunity for kids just to be curious um and explore careers that they might not have thought about before. >> So, if I'm a student at South Burlington High School, how would I uh come in contact with you on just a regular day-to-day basis? >> I have a lot of dropins. A lot. my window faces right out near the library, so kids are coming and going really all the time. Um, sometimes teachers will refer students or bring them in. Sometimes I get phone calls from parents. Um, so yeah, lots of ways that students and I'm like shameless on the on the announcements as well, just like pummeling kids with opportunities. >> And you're out there, I'm sure, beating the bushes to find these opportunities for kids. >> Yeah. Yeah. We're very fortunate. I mean, I've been around a long time, you know. Um, so that really helps just knowing alum and having been in the community for 25 years. Um, you know, it's just and people are so generous, you know, with their time and their >> That's awesome. >> Yeah. >> That's so awesome. Well, one of your uh proteges here, Kristen. Now, you were um not you were not a career counselor back then. You were her traditional school counselor, but clearly you made a huge influence on her because she's doing great work, too. So talk about uh Kristen, talk about Workforce in Motion and what that what that is. >> Yeah. So Workforce in Motion is actually a brand new nonprofit. We were founded actually in January of this year. So it's been a fast and a furious nine months. Um and we have actually put on a summit already. We did that in Rutland County. And our goal is to move this around the state. We know all students need access to all different career pathways. Um it started really trades focused but you know there are so many opportunities in every different organization. Um Killington is a great example of that and that was something that we saw in Rutland. You can do snowblowing, you can be an EMT, you can be in marketing and sales, you can really run the whole gambit of things. So um it really broadened up to be full workforce. >> Awesome. So when you and I well the three of us met to talk about this workforce um in motion and the summit that you're going to I don't you probably said it and I didn't realize it at the time that you've only been on the job for since the beginning of the year. Yes. >> And you already put a summit together and it was so successful you're bringing one up and that's really a big reason that you're here. I want to talk about this summit that you have. Talk more about this. When is it? Uh what are you what's going to be there? >> Yeah. >> And and also spoiler alert. It's not just for kids, right? It's going to be open to community members. >> That is very true. That's a brand new piece. We learned a lot from our first summit. We're taking a lot of those pieces and bringing them to Burlington because we know there were things that we could be better at and we always want to improve upon what we're doing. Um we worked very closely with a big cohort of counselors in the Rutland region to make sure that everything we were doing for the summit led to educational outcomes for students and really making sure that we were engaging with them um in a positive way. Okay. So, in Rutland, we brought out,50 students. Wow. Yep. Around. It was a lot of kids. Um, but actually, we're pacing around a thousand already in Burlington. And our registration has really schools have only been back for about a week. So, they're flying out. Um, we're really excited about the participation level already. >> And I think it's at the end of September. >> That's correct. September 29th. So, the very end. >> Fantastic. September 29th. And it's at the And I'm new to Vermont as I think everybody knows. It's at the expo. >> Yep. The Champlne Valley Expo. >> Okay. And so you were talking about some of the things that kids could do at the um last one that you did at Rutland. Pretty cool stuff. Talk a little bit about like you can go and you can lay some bricks and you can >> Yeah, we don't have any brick layers for this summit, but we do have so many exciting different things. My favorite, and I hate to play favorites, but we do have an F-16 coming. Um a mini one, but a plane nonetheless. We have Vermont Rail bringing in a giant setup with a crane truck. They're going to bring real tracks and show kids how to make some of those pieces. We have, oh man, so many different uh police units bringing in all sorts of different things from big trucks showing some of their special equipment, but also things like fingerprint activities, a K-9 demo. Um, but we also, and I think this is one of the most important things for our schools to learn about is we've invited the tech centers to come. So, we'll have Burlington Tech and Essex Tech in attendance to really showcase some of their coolest stuff. Um we have Essex Tech bringing an ambulance and a skid steer and then we also have um Burlington bringing one of their switch cars. So kids will really be able to explore some of those pieces. >> So kids will not only get to see the different careers that exist but also the programs that the tech centers that we're aligned with um offer. That's awesome. So Nikki, you say sophomores are going talk talk about how that is how that recruitment is going and how what are the logistics of that like? >> Right. So um hopefully we're going to do it by advisory. So, we're going to be able to do some prep ahead of time with students around, you know, etiquette, what kinds of things should they be looking for and asking um really for me like for kids to be curious and to be asking questions and having conversations with professionals whether you become any of these things or not, I think that's a win. So, um yes, so we're going to bring everybody and that's I think it's just it's also repetition, right? I think the more we're planting seeds with students around being curious and looking at different options um you know we just keep doing it and then we we build a culture around it. >> Yeah. And and this has been um a conversation that's been going on with in schools for probably five or 10 year at least five years probably 10 years or so >> where the focus has I shouldn't say the focus has been kids don't have to go to college but it's really been a a much more of an awakening of there are so many opportunities that exist uh for uh kids to make a great living and be uh productive members of society that may or may not involve college but these are great paying jobs and we know that the workforce is um is looking for workers. They're they're um um so I mean what advice do you have for kids as they're entering their you know freshman year, sophomore year, what advice do you have for them about preparing for that life after high school? >> Yeah. Be curious. You know, just get out there and and explore. You know, if I have a student who comes to me and says, "Hey, I'd like to come to Beta." I'm like, "Great. Go find a friend and bring them with you because you never know what you're going to what you're going to find or who you're going to meet." Um, so that my thing is really just be curious. There are so many options out there for students and like you say, you know, like there are pipelines for students to get really into very good careers that don't involve college and they can even make money while they're while they're doing apprenticeships or some other kind of, you know, pipeline, you know, workforce development thing. Yeah. So this is what I just want them to know that there are lots of options out there and some of them involve college or further education and some of them don't >> and and I think that's what's incredibly valuable about your position. I I happen to believe that um you know kids the one area where I think that public schools in general short change kids is not giving them the exposure to all and I don't blame the schools for that it's because I'm a teacher. I was a teacher and I went to high school and I went to college and I became a teacher and I I didn't really have much out um outside experience. My dad was a rubber worker, you know, so I had a little bit of a look into that. >> Um but it's hard to give kids those experiences um because we just maybe don't know about them as our own professors >> or have the capacity, right? >> And you're doing that. You're getting kids to understand that there are so many different jobs that exist. So, it's for me it was like I'm going to be a teacher or I'm going to, you know, work the rubber company or, >> you know, whatever was on TV. You know, there's a great doctor show, maybe I'll be a doctor, but but there's a lot of jobs out there that kids don't even know exist. >> 100%. Yeah. I mean, as much as I can get students out of the building and then like we often do trips to the hospital or we'll do I'm going to take students to the global foundaries STEM career day and they get to do alliance group like they were they were bu building you know I don't know HVAC systems and they were bending pipe with the plumbers and um students they love that stuff and it's just great exposure and they just they eat it up. >> Yeah, that's fantastic. Fantastic. So, um, Kristen, back to the expo that's coming up. We talked about the kids. The kids are going to have all kinds of opportunities, but it's also for the community. >> Yep. Absolutely. That was a a piece that we learned from Rutland was we really wanted to expand this both for the community, but also for the employers. You said a little bit earlier, you know, people are looking, our employers are desperate, our region is desperate for these pieces, uh, these students to kind of grow into the future workforce. Our state is of course seeing such difficulty with retaining talent. Um so really addressing some of these problems is important to us. Um and we know again to really make sure that our exhibitors are getting access to both the future workforce and making sure they also have access to the current workforce. We're asking them to bring out some big pieces that takes time too. Um but I think there is such an important learning factor to also letting adults experience some of this. Um one of my favorite switches, right? We have to deal with some tricky switches in the middle. We're going to go from a student audience to an adult audience and um Burlington Police is coming. They're going to do a fingerprinting activity for the students, but in the afternoon they'll switch to um a virtual reality experience for the adults. So um and I you know I think you said a flight simulator with beta they are coming too and I think uh you know I think adults will also love some of the VR the flight simulator pieces. Um, so it's just really exciting to be able to bring this to the community as well knowing. >> So this could be people who are looking maybe second career or just curious or maybe thinking about what might I want to talk to my kids about doing too. It could really anybody could come to this. Is that is that right? >> Absolutely. And you know we also wanted to provide we're working with the department of labor on this which is very exciting partnership. Um but one of the pieces that we're also trying to impact is uh they'll have an easy apply station. So first of all in the morning for our students they'll be offering mock interviews and resume reviews. So we encourage all of the students to bring those pieces so they actually have um the option or the opportunity to do some of those things. Um but we also will flip in the middle again another pivot midway through. Um and they'll be doing an easy apply station. So they'll bring out laptops and actually be helping people apply for jobs on site. Um, which means we're also encouraging our exhibitors to really put their careers up on Vermont Job Link so we can put that seamless transition together. Experience, get excited, apply for the job, go home, you get a new job in the morning, you know, and really close that gap. >> That's fant. You have a flyer that you can if you want to hold the flyer up in front of you. I'm sure we'll let the the cameras we'll probably There we go over this camera. >> Oh, sorry. This >> be able to zoom into it. >> Yeah. So that's Summit and Equipment Rodeo. The the equipment rodeo portion of that sounds fantastic. >> Now we are doing things a little bit different in Chitten County because we have a different venue, right? So as we move around the state and our goal is really to make sure we're hitting different regions. So we hope to bring this summit to a region near you soon. Um but this one we will be mostly inside. If there are some big trucks that aren't going to fit into the expo loading doors, then maybe we'll transition a couple outside. But this was one of the big pieces we created for our inaugural summit in Rutland. Okay. Um and it was designed again with the help of so many counselor friends from that region. But it actually has writing prompts in it um to really try and help our students engage in a meaningful way. Um so they actually get to kind of write down some of the things that they've learned and then they turn it in uh for prizes at the end um at the chamber booth. So this event is hosted by the Lake Champlain Chamber. Um we're excited to have that partnership as well. That's fantastic. That's fantastic. Um, so if I'm a adult in the community, what do I need to know about getting there that day? What I just show up on the 29th at a certain time? >> Yep. So, if you're an adult in the community, you can come anytime afternoon. We are reserving that morning period for students. Um, so 12 to 3:30, we will be on site uh welcoming everybody from the community. However, there is a really special aspect for this one. Um WCAX will be on site as well. And for the morning portion, one of their activities is actually showing students the magic of a live broadcast and that actually will turn into a 1-hour long special program that will be streamed on uh one of their sister stations, WYCI. Uh and then it'll be on their Facebook page and their website. So anyone in the public who maybe can't come to the career fair. I know it's tricky hours, people are working. Um they can actually stream it and they'll be able to access it after the event, too. Um, and it'll really be a showcase of our exhibitors and showing the community also what's out there. Um, they'll be doing some more in-depth interviews and that's how we're encouraging our exhibitors. Listen, you're not going to get a news interview unless you bring something really cool. So, bring it out and uh hopefully you'll get a story done on you. >> That is awesome. And uh, what time does it end on the 29th? 3:30. >> 3:30. Okay. So, noon to 3:30. Adults in the community, come on out, check it out at the expo. So Nikki, let's head back to you because I know that you you two not only were you her mentor and you were her counselor, but you guys have been working together really closely on this. What have you found to be the most exciting thing about this expo that's coming in and what kind of opportunities do you see that it brings for our kids? >> Yeah. Um well, I just I mean Kristen has just done like remarkable work getting all of this together, you know, inviting community partners and a wide variety of community partners which I think is really helpful for students. Um, I think like when I've brought students to fairs before, like they really and we've been doing some smaller fairs at school, right? So, they're kind of in that way of thinking to go and have conversations and ask questions. Um, so I think like all those conversations and the wide variety of people that are going to be there, I think there's going to be something for everybody. Um, and so I'm I I think they're going to be stoked. >> Yeah, that's going to be very cool. Yeah. And so you do bring in um uh businesses to talk to kids periodically. I remember in high school the you know the colleges would come in and you go to the college and you're doing that same thing with businesses. >> Yep. So actually in October um I'll do like a small health sciences career fair. So um I again I tap into my alum you know so hopefully we're going to have an optometrist, a dentist, a respiratory therapy, radiology. Um, I have a physician friend coming who's going to represent integrative medicine. Um, and often they'll bring hands-on things, EMT. Um, so and it's just going to be in the lobby and it's at a time when people have kind of some unstructured, you know, during advisory and lunchtime and so advisers can bring their students down. They'll have some time during lunch to just wander around and ask questions and get information. Um, there's shadowing opportunities that students can do. Radiology does a beautiful job with a full day shadow. Um, so yeah. And so those have been really those have been really successful. >> Yeah. So I remember um some of the um emails you sent me last year with great pictures of kids were um you know at the hospital UVM. Yeah. >> Talk about some of you did some super cool stuff. >> Yeah. Yeah. Um so yeah, we we've toured labs like we learn about hematology and all kinds of things that I don't begin to understand. Um, we have a trip actually planned to the mother and baby unit. And so we have a great nurse educator contact there who talks to students about ways that they support new families, right? From NICU to car seat safety. I mean, all kinds of people are involved on those teams. Um, and so that's really great information for students to have. Um, yeah. So, and they always do also UVM does a great health sciences a larger health sciences fair in the spring, so we always go to that. Um, yeah. So there's just there's just lots of ways to get out and see what's out there. >> That's so cool. So when you are going out to all these places, is is that typically open to any >> open to anybody? >> Anybody. They just need to listen to the announcements or >> Yep. Yep. And I spread the word. I go into classes or I do whatever to try and get the word out and they sign up and off we go. It's awesome. >> Okay. So I am I'm I've said it several times. I'm new to Vermont, right? The maple industry is huge here. Do you do anything with the maple industry? We haven't, but that would be fun. >> Yeah, >> I know. I'm trying to think of what connections I have for you that I can fast forward. >> Yeah, that would be something. Sure. Out in the bush. Yeah. Well, they're um at the tech center, they do go out into a sugar bush and students are making maple syrup. Yeah. So, it's real fun. Yeah. And they sell it and it's Yeah. >> And on the other side of the industry of the culinary world, so one of our partners is Vermont Specialty Foods Association and I know they had a lot of maple producers on their uh in their cohort. So, you know, it really spans a lot of industries as many workforce partners do. >> Yeah. Again, if I I've if I've learned anything about Vermont, it's maple and skiing and get out some mountains and that kind of stuff. That's awesome. >> So, um if there are community member, if there are business owners now watching this this program or listening to this uh podcast, how can and they thought, you know what, I I'm really looking for some employees. How would they reach out to you? How could you help them? Oh my gosh, I would be thrilled to have people reach out to me. Just reaching out through my school email address would be fine or and I will certainly be at the at the summit, you know, networking and and making those community contacts. I also have been um involved more lately with SB3C um which is like a business networking um you know group that's getting started and >> I'm on the board of that group. >> Well, there you go. I know. And and one of my former students is Alex Judge. >> Okay. Okay. >> Yeah. So, um, you know, just Yeah, I would be thrilled to have I mean, the more the marrier. >> Yeah. >> Well, that's great. I mean, it's it's um >> I think that first of all, it is it's a incredibly valuable position that you feel and it's one that um again, I don't I don't know about Vermont, but I know places I've been, it's it was really largely unfilled. And what a great opportunity you're providing to give kids exposure to uh to work, to the world of work, stuff that they're going to end up doing for the rest of their lives. Yeah, it's it's fun. It's fun to hear from students who have graduated and they're like, "Hey, remember I was in your class or I was, you know, and I did this thing and and they're doing amazing great stuff now." I I love that they stay in touch and and it's it's exciting. It's good stuff. >> And so, how did this connection I mean, I know did you before you made the call to Nikki to talk about uh this, did you know what she was doing or was it just a cold call? What was how did that come about? I I reached out to Pat Burke, you know, he was actually my mentor when I was doing a senior project which was bringing the community together. So, um I reached out to Pat and he said, you know, you should really talk to Nikki and I was like, that's my Nikki, I think. And it was. So, here we are. >> Fantastic. >> It was great. >> Awesome. Well, I can't thank you enough for being here. I I'm wishing you all the best at the at the summit. I hope you get tons and tons of kids and tons of community members and uh just great work. said, "Do you plan on making this an annual event or >> Yep, that is the goal. Once we are in a community, we don't want to leave it." That's kind of the constant awareness that we're trying to address. And you said it a little bit earlier. Sometimes, you know, these uh credentialed pathways are not as elevated as those two and four-year degrees. And we want to make sure to start changing that narrative. Um and we know the way to do that is really to constantly keep kids aware and exposed to the different pathways out there. And so so what message would you have for families who are watching this? Because you know um I'm I'm an empty neester now and my kids are fortunate they got up, they went out and they're employed and I know that was a very stressful time as a parent going through that. So what what advice do you have for our families as they're, you know, watching their children grow up and they're getting into high school? What should they be thinking about or what should they be exploring? >> Absolutely. you know, um I I have a three-year-old and we're always telling him about trades and sharing the world with him through that lens. And I think there's so much organic excitement about all of these pathways that are not uh filled anymore. So, construction trades, rescue, policing, right? These are the things that they think of when they're three, four, five, and I think that awareness slips away. So, making sure to keep all different career paths in mind, making sure that you're looking at all of the different options, making sure that students know that uh a fully paid opportunity through one of the police forces could land you in a commissioner's seat someday. So, there's a really endless trail of opportunity in our own backyard. And hopefully our kids will stick around to see that. >> Yeah. And I, you know, I've um heard frequently that kids today will probably go through what 10 or 15 jobs and there it's I don't know if that's accurate or not, but it seems like it. Uh people move around a lot. And so just getting any kind of opportunity um to learn some trades, learn some skills, learn some soft skills that will help them move on, I think is great. >> Yeah. >> Well, I'm really grateful for both of you for being here. Um the work you do, Nikki, is awesome at the high school. I know that I hear tons of feedback from kids who talk about how awesome you are and I know you keep sending me those emails of all the great things that's going. You should be shameless. So good though. You should be so proud of it. >> You followed up with me on this meeting on this boss. She's like, "Don't forget it's at this time." Okay, don't forget it's at this time and this location and here's a calendar invite. No one has helped me stay on track since I was in high school. So, >> and I think and I get it out in my updates so the parents or families can see what you're doing. So, thank you for all the hard work that you do for our kids and for the community. And um Kristen, thank you so much for coming back. You're 20. First of all, you make us incredibly proud, right? We're always proud to brag about our um alumni who are doing awesome things and you're doing awesome things. You're making a difference, too. You're giving uh direction and opportunity uh for not just students, but for um adults in the community. So, thank you for doing that. So, I wish you both the best with the with your continued work and with the expo and and good luck to you. >> Yeah, thank you so much. >> I am so grateful all of you that have uh watched or uh tuned in to listen to this and I will see you again next month. And as always, go Wolves.