Home » News » Business
June 17. 2012 7:51PM
A Lisbon High School student operates a manual drill press in N.E. Wire's machine shop while Lisbon Internship Coordinator and teacher Mike McKeever explains the North Country Workplace Education Program. (ELIA NILSON)
Lisbon work program coordinator and high school teacher Mike McKeever, left, and Executive Councilor Ray Burton look on while Lisbon High’s Mike Heath learns about milling technology and manufacturing in the machine shop at N.E. Wire in Lisbon last week. The North Country Workplace Education Program has expanded to include more schools and dozens of students, 50 percent of whom start work or find a field of study after they graduate. McKeever praised the inclusiveness of the program: “This program is for valedictorians ... and it’s for everybody else. That’s the beauty of it,” he said.
North Country schools' plan puts kids to work
A Lisbon High School student operates a manual drill press in N.E. Wire's machine shop while Lisbon Internship Coordinator and teacher Mike McKeever explains the North Country Workplace Education Program. (ELIA NILSON)
Lisbon work program coordinator and high school teacher Mike McKeever, left, and Executive Councilor Ray Burton look on while Lisbon High’s Mike Heath learns about milling technology and manufacturing in the machine shop at N.E. Wire in Lisbon last week. The North Country Workplace Education Program has expanded to include more schools and dozens of students, 50 percent of whom start work or find a field of study after they graduate. McKeever praised the inclusiveness of the program: “This program is for valedictorians ... and it’s for everybody else. That’s the beauty of it,” he said.
LISBON — The Grafton County-based North Country Workplace Education Program is continuing its success getting New Hampshire high school graduates into internships and careers in manufacturing, marketing, graphic design, and other fields.
The program, now in its sixth year, has expanded from six Lisbon High School students working in the machine shop of New England Wire Technologies to over 40 students from Littleton High School, Profile School, and Lisbon working at over 30 internship placements.
Each school has its own internship coordinator who oversees placement, but all students are responsible for applying to the internship of their choice. Internship fields can include engineering, photography, marketing, journalism, and local government.
The program provides opportunities to two sets of high school students: those who plan to attend college upon graduation, as well as those who plan on entering the workforce.
For those who will attend college, two years of high school internships (the program is only available for juniors and seniors) help build resumes from an early age. For those who plan on entering the work force, the practical experience of these programs allow educated and trained individuals to enter fields with a better chance of finding employment.
NCWEP currently has a rate of over 50 percent of participating students that eventually go on to work or education programs in their internship fields.
“This (program) is for valedictorians, and it's for everyone else; that's the beauty of it,” said Lisbon High School internship coordinator and teacher Mike McKeever. “What we really want this student to gain is some life experience.”
The program is also trying to create a homegrown solution for revitalizing the lag in North Country manufacturing and industry. It is yet another attempt to incentivize young men and women to remain in the area by giving them a headstart with hands-on work. It also is an attempt to decrease the school dropout rate.
In the machine shop space provided by New England Wire Technologies, McKeever explains the daily tasks for students. He says the program is largely student driven. While there are textbooks, supplies, and advice from mentors if needed, the student is responsible for the bulk of his or her work.
Each day, “we present the students with a challenge,” says McKeever. For instance, as he held up a large metal nut, “Build the bolt to fit in this nut.” For the rest of the period, the student will have to design and build the matching product.
“We make them get it right,” says McKeever. “If they get it wrong, we start over.”
McKeever notes that while the Wiremill supplies the machine shop area, most of the machines themselves belong to the program.
“We have been able to build up our own inventory of tools,” says McKeever. “What we lack, the Wiremill donates.”
The four-semester machine shop program that students can complete within their junior and senior years is designed to train them on every piece of equipment that program owns, designing tools and completing sketches.
NCWEP is currently planning expansion, and has been in talks with representatives from Lyndon State College's Center for Rural Entrepreneurship to help enlarge the program.
Director of the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship Ann Nygard stated plainly the goal the program:
“We want to put job creation on steroids,” said Nygard, who added that job growth in the economically depressed Northern counties of New Hampshire and Vermont is crucial.
The program, now in its sixth year, has expanded from six Lisbon High School students working in the machine shop of New England Wire Technologies to over 40 students from Littleton High School, Profile School, and Lisbon working at over 30 internship placements.
Each school has its own internship coordinator who oversees placement, but all students are responsible for applying to the internship of their choice. Internship fields can include engineering, photography, marketing, journalism, and local government.
The program provides opportunities to two sets of high school students: those who plan to attend college upon graduation, as well as those who plan on entering the workforce.
For those who will attend college, two years of high school internships (the program is only available for juniors and seniors) help build resumes from an early age. For those who plan on entering the work force, the practical experience of these programs allow educated and trained individuals to enter fields with a better chance of finding employment.
NCWEP currently has a rate of over 50 percent of participating students that eventually go on to work or education programs in their internship fields.
“This (program) is for valedictorians, and it's for everyone else; that's the beauty of it,” said Lisbon High School internship coordinator and teacher Mike McKeever. “What we really want this student to gain is some life experience.”
The program is also trying to create a homegrown solution for revitalizing the lag in North Country manufacturing and industry. It is yet another attempt to incentivize young men and women to remain in the area by giving them a headstart with hands-on work. It also is an attempt to decrease the school dropout rate.
In the machine shop space provided by New England Wire Technologies, McKeever explains the daily tasks for students. He says the program is largely student driven. While there are textbooks, supplies, and advice from mentors if needed, the student is responsible for the bulk of his or her work.
Each day, “we present the students with a challenge,” says McKeever. For instance, as he held up a large metal nut, “Build the bolt to fit in this nut.” For the rest of the period, the student will have to design and build the matching product.
“We make them get it right,” says McKeever. “If they get it wrong, we start over.”
McKeever notes that while the Wiremill supplies the machine shop area, most of the machines themselves belong to the program.
“We have been able to build up our own inventory of tools,” says McKeever. “What we lack, the Wiremill donates.”
The four-semester machine shop program that students can complete within their junior and senior years is designed to train them on every piece of equipment that program owns, designing tools and completing sketches.
NCWEP is currently planning expansion, and has been in talks with representatives from Lyndon State College's Center for Rural Entrepreneurship to help enlarge the program.
Director of the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship Ann Nygard stated plainly the goal the program:
“We want to put job creation on steroids,” said Nygard, who added that job growth in the economically depressed Northern counties of New Hampshire and Vermont is crucial.
Subscribe for FREE!
Union Leader Business Newsletter
» SHARE EVENTS FOR PUBLICATION, IT'S FREE!
Upcoming Events
Sorry, no question available