GREENFIELD — Eric Truitt ascended the telephone pole with ease as the crowd of fifth-graders bunched together below him, eyes glued to the sky above.
The NineStar Connect journeyman lineman had given the group of youngsters a crash course on the different types of equipment he uses while repairing power lines. Then came the live demonstration: the elementary students’ eyes widened with fascination as he swiftly made his way up the 20-foot pole.
Younger students don’t usually get a first-person look at what a skilled tradesman does for a living, Truitt said. That’s why it’s important from time to time to introduce them to careers they don’t typically learn about in school, he said.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
Click here to purchase photos from this galleryThe Greenfield Area Chamber of Commerce and the Hancock County Economic Development Council teamed up Wednesday to kick off the Youth Workforce Initiative, a project designed to educate elementary students on the multitude of opportunities in today’s workforce. Fifth-graders from county schools met with professionals from various industries to learn about different careers, including IT, engineering and healthcare.
The council also began working on another part of its project: A video of participating students from the county’s elementary schools answering questions about careers and their perceptions about what those careers encompass, said Retta Livengood, chamber president.
The students spent the day gaining insight into what life is really like for workers in different fields and had an opportunity to ask questions of several people from Hancock County currently holding those posts.
Becky Zapf, social media associate with Elanco, said the initiative provided kids an opportunity to understand the roles different industries have to offer. Zapf came as a representative of not just healthcare and the animal health industry but also as a pioneer in the fast-growing internet sector.
“They all thought it was funny that I play on Facebook all day long,” Zapf said.
It’s wise to get students thinking about long-term goals early, rather than waiting until high school to talk about plans for after graduation, Zapf added.
Several NineStar employees contributed to the project’s efforts as well, giving a diverse showcase of their different career skills. There’s a real value in catching their interest and pointing out the many opportunities right here in their own community, said Jamie Bell, director of engineering.
It’s a chance to invest in the future economy of their hometown as well, he said.
They tried to stay away from PowerPoint presentations and chalkboards, preferring a more tangible approach; for Truitt’s presentation, for example, they let the kids put on the different safety equipment for themselves. This is especially useful for students who don’t know what they want to do when they’re older, Bell said.
“A lot of these kids are more hands-on learning types,” Bell said. “That’s why we’re trying to show them you can learn all sorts of skills right here in house.”
The Greenfield chamber wants a sample of what a student’s mindset looks like in fifth grade, Livengood said. They’re want kids to talk about their perception of what careers are at first so they can later learn what those careers look like in reality, she said.
Showing children the diversity of the modern workforce paints the students a detailed picture of their future, said Connie Schmidt, HEDC executive assistant.
Giving young people a glimpse of professional life will inspire them to pursue new endeavors; whether working in advanced manufacturing or climbing and repairing telephone poles.
“Certainly, we want our youth to become educated and learn and grow and experience the world,” Schmidt said. “But we also want them to know how special Hancock County is.”
