Over the summer, participants in the Lorain County Junior Vocational School summer internship program made a total of $380,000. The selective program pairs students with a local business in their field, where they intern throughout the summer.

 “[The JVS internship program] gives [students] an opportunity to go out into their trade and work with one of our employer partners so they can gain skills and get that real-world experience, not only just within their trade but also those soft skills that go with employment as well,” JVS Director of Communications Heidi Clevinger said. “It’s really a win for our employers who are able to sort of build a pipeline of employees that they can train and work with throughout a couple years in their high school experience. Our hope is that they hire them full-time after they graduate from high school. It’s also a win for our students, who have the opportunity to earn high school credit [and] to get more experience within their trade, as well as earn money over the summer.”

The program’s application is open to rising seniors who have completed a year at JVS with good grades and teacher recommendations. This summer, 99 students from across Lorain County participated, including two from Oberlin High School. The students were employed by 38 companies in fields ranging from auto repair to cosmetology. Students received one and a half academic credits for completing the program in addition to a paycheck. 

“The staff strives hard to have their students experience an internship in the field they have chosen with the outcomes always being positive,” President of the JVS Board of Education Rex Engle said. “Many students get offered employment their senior year and offered a full time job upon graduation. The JVS prides itself in having many of their graduates employed upon graduation.”

Clevinger said the JVS has a good relationship with local businesses. Each technical program has an advisory committee made up of business leaders and community members in the field. Some internships are with employers from these groups, others are with other businesses JVS has developed a reputation with.

“We have an excellent reputation in the community,” Clevinger said. “We have several employers who approach us throughout the school year talking about … how they can get to know our students and work with our students. Any employer that comes through here is vetted by us. We do safety site visits; we meet with them to make sure it’s an appropriate place for a student to be. And, over the years, we’ve been really fortunate to cultivate those partnerships and keep them long term.” 

Clevinger expressed her view on the importance of trained tradespeople to our economy.

“I think the importance of the trades is something that a lot of people realize, but it’s nice to see how many of our students are excited about going into the trades,” she said. “As different generations continue to retire early, … a lot of the skilled trades are really finding a shortage of labor right now. And so, we feel that the work we do here is so critical to keeping the American economy running smoothly, to keep providing the services that people need.”

Longtime educator and School Board candidate Janet Garrett also expressed a belief that JVS’ mission benefited the community.

“I see the JVS as a great resource and opportunity for high school students to graduate into a skilled job,” she said. “Good for them. Good for society.”