It’s the middle of the school day in Carbondale, but senior Erika Hollis is down the street. She takes a break from waiting on customers at the Dime Bank. She spends half her school day working as a teller as part of Carbondale Area School District’s growing co-op and internship program.
“I've gotten a lot of job experience. So I already know how to have good work ethic,” Erika said. “It's very helpful for college experience too, getting the feel of, you know, everyday life after high school, because it's not what it really seems like in high school.”
A growing number of seniors, including those who plan to attend college, receive that real-word experience during the school day. Carbondale Area now has 16 seniors completing internships, up from four when the program started two years ago.
Career Coordinator Gabrielle Pidgeon said employers reported a lack of soft skills from new graduates, including communication and the ability to work with others.
“We feel it's important for the students to get those skills, but also, it's good experience for them to learn what they want to do and what they don't want to do,” she said.
The programs can lead to students wanting to pursue careers or college degrees in a subject area, to completely head in a different direction. Placements this year include those in the fields of finance, healthcare, education and construction. Some jobs are paid.
In the Tunkhannock Area School District, about 40% of high school seniors participate in co-op programs, and the numbers continue to grow. Two years ago, about 25 students participated. This year, the number is in the mid-60s, with 74 students already signed up for next school year.
Students take required core classes, such as English or math, in the morning and then head to work. Some students hope to secure jobs right after graduation, while others have plans for master’s degrees or beyond.
Andrew Ulitchney, co-op coordinator in Tunkhannock, teaches an employability skills course to all students in co-op.
“So we begin with teaching about interview skills, and resume building, and things like that. And then we move on to all the soft skills like the people skills and communication skills that are just required for life,” he said. “And then we move on to ways of getting promoted and entrepreneurship ... So it really does focus on all students. It's not specifically one demographic or another.”
Carbondale senior Emily Tropeano spends her afternoons in Carbondale City Hall with Mayor Michele Bannon and with members of the police department. Emily wants to be a lawyer and as a project, is surveying her peers on how to improve the city. She called the experience eye-opening and confirmation she is on the right path.
Bannon, who became mayor this year after nearly 30 years as city clerk, said Emily brings an important perspective to City Hall.
“We have great days, we have bad days, and she's able to see it's not all unicorns and butterflies all the time,” Bannon said. “A person's value and worth is how they react to the bad situations, and how they ruminate the good ones, so I love having her around for that reason. And I'm glad that we're able to start to plant a seed and move it forward and that she's the catalyst for that.”
