We’ve all heard about how difficult it is to find good employees in the trades these days – with the focus on going to college rather than transitioning from high school into a career in industries like heating & cooling systems, pest control, welding, construction, and other hands-on positions. This cry for help from employers of trade-based businesses is finally getting a response from leaders at the state and federal level as a push to attract students into those fields is beginning to get started.
State Senator Tamara Barringer worked hard during the 2017 legislative session to secure funding for initiatives in these areas – specifically the areas of workforce readiness and entrepreneurship that uses experiential, hands-on learning. The $250,000 grant secured by Barringer was distributed between the five western Wake Chambers of Commerce in varying amounts based on population size in early 2018, and the Fuquay-Varina Chamber took full advantage of the $25,000 check it received.
Programs eligible for consideration for funding had to be at the middle and high school level, and designed to motivate and mentor young people to gain real experience working with local businesses across the Triangle. Linda Frenette, President of the Fuquay-Varina Chamber of Commerce, wasted no time in identifying 13 projects that qualified for funding under the grant’s criteria. “Workforce development, especially in the trades, is such a hot button issue for Chambers and communities at large right now,” Frenette explained. “We were excited to reach out to find and fund programs that might steer some students toward our member businesses that are struggling to attract good employees in the current college-focused market.”
The 13 different projects that were identified impacted all 12 grade levels in Fuquay-Varina and involved students from three different schools – Fuquay-Varina Middle School, Fuquay-Varina High School, and Southern Wake Academy. Several of them were collaborative projects that involved both high school and middle school students working together. Without exception, all 13 projects were intended to show students that there are viable, worthwhile careers in our community that are perfect for students who prefer hands-on, experiential learning over academic study. Here is a synopsis of each program.
Skilled Trade Days
Alexander Heating, Air & Plumbing, Harte Electric, and Big Monkey Renovations hosted students at their headquarters to give students an overview of career options in the trades. Students from Fuquay-Varina High School traveled to each business, participated in a tour of their facilities, and listened to the owners of each business explain the different positions within the field, the potential salary levels, and the certifications/training that is required to advance in the industry. It was an eye-opening experience for the students, who were surprised at the potential income levels in each industry.
Fuquay-Varina Start-Up Challenge by RISE
RISE (Resilient & Innovative Student Entrepreneurs), developed by Empowered Ideas and run out of Fuquay CoWorking is designed to support and nurture aspiring (and existing) entrepreneurs at the middle and high school levels. Their Start-Up Challenge for young entrepreneurs funded by the Barringer grant began in March and ran for four weeks on Friday nights. Over 20 students signed up for the program, which taught business development skills and culminated with a Start-Up Weekend event where seven students developed and pitched a business idea before a panel of judges.
The winner of the competition was sophomore Caleb Atkins from Fuquay-Varina High School, who launched his aerial photography business, Brilliant Aerial. Other notable mentions were freshman Jade Bowman with MicroThera (microwavable heating pads), 9-year old Anvi Mathur with Your Comic Crew, and sophomore Akilah Kimmons with Sankofa Bath & Body Products.
Fuquay CoWorking hosted the series and the Start-Up Weekend and was the obvious choice for the venture because of its affiliation with the Wake County WAKE-LINK program, which offers students a free place to study with wi-fi after school.
Key is Coffee
The FVHS students in the occupational course of study with a modified curriculum run a program called “Key is Coffee” where they run a coffee service on campus for teachers and staff. This program develops business skills in a
hands-on format for students who are learning job skills. The Barringer grant provided supplies and equipment for this program, most significantly a refrigerator for storing perishable supplies.
Freshman Academy
Freshman Academy is a brand new transition program for freshmen students at FVHS who have been chosen from the 8th grade class prior to enrollment at the high school based on a wide range of criteria. The goal of the program is to provide extra support through collaborative relationships with counselors, teachers, and administrative staff in an effort to reduce absenteeism and drop-out rates, and foster a commitment to academic progress and defining career goals. The Barringer grant created a challenge in the community where it matched $1,000 raised by community and business leaders to help fund the 2018-2019 Freshman Academy program.
Pre-K Playground
This was a collaborative program between the early childhood students at Fuquay-Varina High School and the Technology Engineering Design students at Fuquay-Varina Middle School to design and build a nature-inspired playground and learning space at Fuquay-Varina Elementary School for Pre-K students. The elementary school was in need of an exploration and sensory stimulation space for its youngest students and this project is in the process of providing that through entrepreneurship. The grant provided supplies and materials for the design of this space.
Pop-Up Shop
Part of the previous project, but cool enough to merit its own heading, was the “pop-up shop” that was organized and held by the same students at Shoppes on Main in April. Using the fabric that they designed and printed and made into products such as tote bags, pajama pants, coasters, clutches, and tea towels, the students held a pop-up shop event to sell those products to the public. Instructor Mottin interviewed each student for the various positions, including marketing, inventory, sales, logistics, reception planning and more. Students staffed the event and Senator Barringer and Mayor John Byrne both attended the event to support the students.
Fabric Design Contest
The graphic design students and the apparel & textile students at Fuquay-Varina High School collaborated on designing and printing their own fabric through a project under the direction of instructor Victoria Mottin. The fabric was actually printed at a location in Durham and used to make articles of clothing and other items.
FBLA National Competition
The Barringer grant provided funds for the Future Business Leaders of America to prepare for and afford travel to their national competition in June. The FBLA club at Fuquay-Varina High School has qualified to compete at the national competition for the last several years, but participation is very expensive and these funds allow the students to concentrate on preparing for competition rather than fundraising.
Youth Leadership
The brand-new Fuquay-Varina Youth Leadership program is a joint venture involving both Fuquay-Varina High School and Southern Wake Academy in sessions that introduce students to the community and the skills that allow them to become leaders. Organized by education advocate Wanda Denning and FVHS career development coordinator Emily Jessie, this program is in its infancy. With monies from the grant, however, it is well on its way to becoming a sustainable program for developing leadership skills at the high school level.
Mini Inspections Internships
One of the more exciting programs funded by the Barringer grant was the mini internships in the Inspections Department of the Town of Fuquay-Varina. Under the guidance of Inspections Director Chris Hinnant, four Southern Wake Academy students spent a full week each (two at a time) learning what is required for careers in municipal service – and specifically in the field of commercial and residential inspection. The students basically served as employees for a week, getting a real taste of what is expected of professional inspectors.
CTSO Store
The Career Tech Education (CTE) department at FVHS offers a store that is run by students as a way of raising funds for the various CTE-related clubs at the school. The Barringer grant funded materials and supplies for the store that students used to make into items for sale in the store. This directly impacts clubs such as FBLA and DACA, which are constantly raising funds for business competitions at other high schools. The FBLA Club also wrote and published a school store manual of procedures that was printed for the use of staff and students.
Buddy Benches
The Barringer grant purchased all the supplies for a project organized by the student ambassadors at Fuquay-Varina Middle School who are building buddy benches for their campus. This project fit both the youth leadership and skilled trades criteria for the grant. The benches have been designed and should be constructed and installed by early June.
The final project qualifying for grant funding within the initiative is a breakfast honoring the achievements of all these groups and their various projects. Certificates will be distributed to all the participants. Chamber President Linda Frenette shared her enthusiasm for the grant and all the initiatives that it funded over the last three months. “This project was extremely rewarding. It was truly inspirational how many programs the grant funded that had such an impact on the youth in our community. I hope we have the opportunity to do it again.”
