HCSR

FORMS: Profile Registration

Why Businesses Should Login

Register Profile of Business
Submit a Help Wanted

Remove a Help Wanted
Submit changes to established Profile

View the E-GUIDE
Login NOW

Many young people graduate from high school not knowing what career path they want to pursue. Business owners in Hanover County have cited difficulties finding qualified workers for the increasing number of skilled and technical jobs. College graduates and non-graduates are finding themselves in fields they could have accessed earlier through internships, on-the-job training or other technical education programs. To address these issues Hanover Career Student Resource, Inc. (HCSR) has developed a directory of Hanover businesses and organizations that offer job experience and career training opportunities for students. A further explanation of the concept can be found in the original proposal for creation of HCSR.

Hanover County Students Participate in New Summer Internship Program

For the first time students in Hanover County Public Schools have had the opportunity to learn and earn through a structured summer internship program offered through their high school’s Career Center. The students worked with their career counselor to find a job related to a career of interest to them. Participating employers agreed to pay the students to work 75 hours and to provide meaningful learning experiences for them on the job. In addition to the pay that they earned, students earned ½ unit of elective credit. Students were also required to complete 15 hours of reflective activities which included interviewing other employees, writing about their own goals and experiences and interacting with their career counselor. They learned how to work with others on the job and about the importance of being on time, dressing appropriately and managing their time. All students who participated reported that they learned from the experience, enjoyed it and would recommend a summer internship to other students. Steven Dills, a Hanover High School Student who worked for Sklar Technology Partners said, “I’ve accomplished everything I set out to learn through this internship and more. …The advice I’d give to someone who is looking into an internship is to just go for it. There’s really nothing you can lose. You can only benefit.” Businesses that are interested in participating in a summer internship next year should contact the high school Career Centers. Rising juniors and seniors who are interested in participating should obtain an application from their school Career Center.

THE CAREER GUIDE

The 160-page, 8½ x 11-inch, printed Fourth Edition of the Career Guide includes over 400 business profiles, a cross-reference index, sponsor ads and a number of other resources and tips for students to use in their career exploration. The business profiles contain details of available training opportunities such as specialized on-the-job training, apprenticeship, internship, shadowing, mentoring, tuition reimbursement and available career speakers. Five thousand copies are being distributed to all high school sophomores, juniors and seniors for use in career planning, and to teachers for use in classroom career studies. Distribution to students takes place during October and November.

SPEAKERS AVAILABLE

Business

or

Civic Organization

SHOWCASE

YOUR

BUSINESS

Call 798-1003 or Email

Buy a Sponsor Ad

for the

HCSR Career Guide.

RATES

COOPERATIVE EDUCATION

For more detailed information about business/school career interactions contact Career Counselors at the Hanover County high schools:

Atlee High School - Karla Taylor

Hanover High School - Jennifer Hall

Lee-Davis High School - Ann Whitehurst

Patrick Henry High School - Bob Szwajkowski

Cooperative Education provides an opportunity for the business community to become an extension of a high school technical education program. Work placements are related to specific course curricula and give students practical experience and work-based experiences in their program of study.

Cooperative Education Programs

Business
Marketing
Early Childhood Education
Agriculture/Horticulture
Computer Repair
Education For Employment (EFE)

Bob Szwajkowski & Anne Whitehurst

Required Paperwork

Training Agreement: Outlines the expectation for the student, parent, school and the business. This document must be signed by each party listed.

Training Plan: Outlines the skill sets that the student will learn/practice on the job. This document is updated regularly during the school year.

Student Work Evaluation: Completed each grading period by the employer reflecting the quality of work performed by the student. This is an opportunity for the employer and the school co-op coordinator to discuss the student’s work performance.

Keys to a Successful Cooperative Education Experience:

Communicate with the cooperative education teacher. Contact this person if any work related problems develop.
Be prepared to help the student understand and practice soft skills.
Set expectations for the student and provide any needed training.
Assign the student to a specific staff person.
Talk to the student about their performance – be honest.
Talk to the student about the business, your training, skills needed in various roles in the firm, etc.
Contact the school co-op coordinator if the placement is not satisfactory or is no longer needed. The coordinator can help the student find another placement.

WORK EXPERIENCE YOUTH APPRENTICESHIP

For information about participation in the Hanover County Student Apprenticeship program, contact:

Your Career Counselor

Hanover County Public Schools

This program is an opportunity for senior students to begin learning a skill through work experience. The program is not connected to any specific high school Technical Education class, permitting a student to be placed into any skilled position.

Required Paperwork

Mutual Expectation Agreement: Outlines the responsibilities of the school, the student, and the employer. This document must be signed by all parties listed. The student assumes responsibility for obtaining signatures and returning a signed copy to the employer.

Student Work Evaluation: Each grading period the employer will receive a grading report requesting an evaluation of the student’s work performance and an indication of the number of work days missed.

Work Schedule

The student attends high school every other day and works the alternative day. This arrangement permits the student employee to work hours standard within the employing business. Students are encouraged to begin work in the summer between their junior and senior year.

Youth Apprenticeship Option

Employers may choose to file paperwork with their state Apprenticeship Representative to enroll the student into the Youth Apprenticeship Program. Students then begin earning credit for hours worked that can be transferred into an adult apprenticeship program.

School Division Contacts

A counselor in each high school and the school division Associate Director of Technical Education work with students and employers participating in this program.

Keys to a Successful Work Experience/Youth Apprenticeship Experience

Use the grading form to communicate with the student and the program contact persons. Call one of the program contacts if problems develop.
Be prepared to help the student understand and practice soft skills.
Set expectations for the student and provide any needed training.
Assign the student to a specific work mentor.
Talk to the student about their performance - be honest.
Talk to the student about the business. Help them understand employment opportunities and the skill-sets required.
Contact the school counselor or the Associate Director Technical Education if the placement is not satisfactory or is no longer needed.

THANK YOU

Hanover Career Student Resource is profoundly grateful to the individuals and businesses whose financial contributions helped to make possible the development of the Career Guide.

Bank of Essex ♦ Bon Secours Home Care ♦ Charles H. Francis & Sons, Inc. Plumbing & Heating ♦ Coca Cola Enterprises ♦ Commonwealth Wholesale, Inc. ♦ Dominion Resources ♦ Duffy's Repair Service, Inc. ♦ EVB Bank ♦ Empire Machinery & Supply Corp. ♦ Epps & Bunn Insurance Agency ♦ Evan Fabricant ♦ Flippo Lumber Corp. ♦ G. E. Paine Electric Co., Inc. ♦ Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce - Hanover Business Council ♦ Celeste J. Hall ♦ Hanover Association of Businesses and Chamber of Commerce ♦ Hanover County Public Schools ♦ Hanover Economic Development ♦ Hanover Fire & EMS ♦ Hanover Industrial Air Park Business Association ♦ Hazzard Electrical Corporation ♦ Herman W. Allen Inc. ♦ Margaret Hill ♦ Hometown Realty ♦ Horne & Associates Realty ♦ Howell's Heating ♦ Gail F. Hubbard ♦ Shirley Husz ♦ It's A Breeze Specialties ♦ Lin's Landscaping Service, Inc. ♦ Maxi Rescue Inc. ♦ Marylou H. Paine ♦ Patrick Chevrolet ♦ Kirby Porter ♦ Provident Bank ♦ RNI Print Services ♦ William Roberts ♦ Sheltering Arms Physical Rehabilitation ♦ Norman Sklar ♦ Sklar Technology Partners ♦ Specialty's Our Name ♦ SunTrust Bank ♦ The Goddard School ♦ The Supply Room Companies ♦ Tolley Electrical Corp. ♦ Trane ♦ Union Bank & Trust ♦ Valentine Electrical ♦ Virginia Masonry Association ♦ Virginia Sprinkler Company, Inc. ♦ Amy Watkinson ♦ WHAN Radio ♦ Ann Whitehurst ♦ White Birch Paper - Bear Island Paper LLC ♦ Witmeyer & Allen, PLC

Disclaimer: The information in each business profile in the Career Guide and E-Guide has been submitted and proofed for publication by the individual businesses. HCSR makes no statement regarding the accuracy of the information or the ability of the businesses to perform the services offered. This directory is designed to be used by students and parents in independent career research, and parents need to exercise their usual level of supervision regarding student contacts with these businesses.