Local high school works to prepare students for the workforce

TRENTON, Tenn. (WNBJ) - In Gibson County, three school districts are working together to prepare their students for the workforce.

At Peabody High School, in Trenton, they had a grant review presentation of the Innovative High School Grant Program. That program is getting kids a jump start in the workforce.

“They are learning how to juggle a school schedule and a work schedule. They are learning time management skills. They are learning excellent communication skills and they are really just learning why it is important to go to work,” said Emily Pitt, the Project Director with the Innovative High School Grant Program.

The Innovative High School Grant Program is funded by the state and it helps over 200 students across three school districts in Gibson County get real world work experience.

“There is such a need for employees right now across west Tennessee that these students have become a vital part of the workforce in our county. We are really proud of the work they are doing. We’ve even got some feedback from some of our business industry partners telling us that the students are better than their full-time employees,” said Pitt.

Students enrolled in the program work in various industries such as healthcare, banking, utility companies, and many more.

At the presentation, one student spoke about how beneficial the program has been and how it is pushing him to further his education.

“It has impacted me in a major way because it actually motivated me to go to college and continue on the path of being a nurse or a CNA. It’s something that I love to do. Helping others, is helping me, it brings me happiness,” said Payton Carter, a student in the Innovative High School Grant Program.

Another student in the program says she enjoys her job and plans to continue working with the company she was assigned to when she goes off to college.

“It means I’ll still get to have these interactions and keep using my skills so one day when I am out of college and working, I’ll already have this experience,” said Ann Taylor Elliott, a student with the Innovative High School Grant Program.

To date the students in the program have earned over 400,000 dollars through the Innovative High School Grant Program.