PIPELINES & PATHWAYS IN THE SCHOOLS

The Pipelines & Pathways Project is designed to help Vermont students successfully prepare for and access employment opportunities. The program replaces and expands on the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation’s Workforce Center of Excellence “Fast Tracks to Success” program working with high school students.  The program is designed to leverage Act 77 and Flexible Pathways to better connect Windham County region’s students with Windham County region jobs. By supporting and strengthening work-based and community-based opportunities in all four Windham County Supervisory Unions, the project will work to ensure any and every student in Windham County has access to high-wage, high growth careers in their own communities.

One portion of the program, the “Scope and Sequence of Career Education” outlines concrete skills, behaviors, and knowledge needed to pursue these career paths.

Program Coordinator Christy Betit supports career preparedness activities, and facilitates CEO’s, Human Resource Specialists, and Employees representing specialized career paths to give presentations and guest lectures throughout the year, lead a number of site-visits.

Funding for P3 is provided by the McClure Foundation, Vermont Training Program, Vermont Community Foundation, the Windham County Economic Development Program, Thompson Trust, the George W. Mergens Foundation, People’s United Bank, Tom Smith – Omega Optical, and the Whitney Blake Company in Bellows Falls. 

This program addresses both Career Awareness (knowledge of local hiring trends) and Career Readiness ( knowledge of skills and behaviors needed to excel).

This course works with students on identifying personal education and training/skill gaps with regard to their desired occupation or career path. This information is used to help participants identify the most relevant and accessible resources within Windham County that best prepare them to reach high-wage opportunities. This information is used  to develop an extended Personal Learning Plan to include Personal Career-Education Planning.

The objectives of the program are:

• Increase in Workforce Participation from program Participants
• Increase in Credentialing and Post-Secondary Education Enrollment from program Participants
• Increase in Average Earnings of program participants
• Increase in Job Placements within participating Business Partners

For more information, contact Christy Betit or a guidance counselor at your respective high school.