Practical Skills Fair Puts Future in Sight
“We really want to open their minds to all the possibilities. … For such a long time, the measure of success for schools was how many kids graduate or went to college. But, you know, I think that needs to be open to all the different pathways that are successful after high school.” Christy Betit, Pipelines and Pathways Program manager at Brattleboro Development Credit Corp.
BY CHRIS MAYS Brattleboro Reformer
BRATTLEBORO — In one room, students were carefully holding electronic baby dolls and learning how to avoid shaking baby syndrome.
In another, they were flying drones. Elsewhere, they received advice on cooking, tying neckties, balancing checkbooks, growing gardens and more.
This was the scene the morning of Feb. 27 when the Windham Regional Career Center at Brattleboro Union High School hosted the Practical Skills Fair, a Pipelines and Pathways Program event put on by the Brattleboro Development Credit Corp.
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BDCC’s Pipelines and Pathways Program (P3) provides career education within the four southeastern Vermont public high schools and the Windham Regional Career Center. P3 helps students develop their personalized learning plans (PLP) by providing work-based learning experiences that increase their knowledge of career opportunities and achieve their postsecondary goals. Students develop soft skills, financial literacy, knowledge about economic sectors and skills that are in-demand through hands-on informational interviews, work-based learning, and mentorships. Pipelines & Pathways is a BDCC Workforce Center of Excellence program based on SeVEDS strategies to increase the size and quality of the region’s workforce. For more information please visit: https://brattleborodevelopment.com/engaging-with-high-school-students/
P3 was originally launched as a five year pilot, thanks to historic investment from the Vermont Community Foundation and McClure Foundation, the Vermont Training Program, WCEDP Vermont Yankee closure funds, and municipal contributions to SeVEDS. In 2023, at the end of that pilot phase, P3 reached a major program milestone by commitments from the private sector. M&T Bank, whose support was matched by local employers G.S. Precision and C&S Wholesale Grocers joins funding partners McClure Foundation, the George W. Mergens Foundation, the Windham Regional Career Center, the West River Education District, and the Windham Southwest Supervisory Union, in supporting P3 across southeastern Vermont. Portions of the program also receive support through the Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) program of the Northern Border Regional Commission.
