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About Coast river business journal. (Astoria, OR) 2006-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 17, 2022)
BUSINESS COMMENT 12 • AUGUST 2022 COAST RIVER BUSINESS JOURNAL Clatsop WORKS Program results for summer 2022 of the local workforce. • Showcase to students the living-wage career opportunities available in Clatsop County. • Help students narrow down career choices before choosing expensive paths to college and trade school degrees. • Collaborate and further the goals of other like- minded organizations in the state of Oregon and the United States. By Kevin Leahy Executive Director Clatsop Economic Development Resources The Clatsop WORKS Pro- gram provides local students, ages 16 and up, with professional, paid internship opportu- nities in Clatsop County, with the goals of community building, economic development, promoting local career opportunities and retaining local talent. Program core values • Interns fi rst: Clatsop WORKS internships need to benefi t the interns and the goals of the program more than the business. We are not a staffi ng fi rm. • Business return on investment: creating a bet- ter-trained applicant pool. • Effi ciency in spending: maximizing the invest- Program goals • Build a stronger, better trained, more employ- ment-ready local workforce, starting with high school students and Clatsop Community College students. • Highlight to businesses the presence and quality Is your Business Ready to Grow? ment made by our funding stakeholders to ensure the best possible return on investment. • Transparency: Careful tracking of spending and activities throughout the program. • Teamwork and collaboration: Connect with other groups with similar goals. • Inclusion and accessibility: Ensure that every- one has an equal opportunity to participate in the program The program has achieved the strongest results since the program began fi ve years ago. Our cohort for summer 2022 was 31 interns hired (representing all schools in Clatsop County). Two interns have already been off ered and accepted full- time positions with their host employer to begin after the internship ends, and two additional interns are in consideration for full-time positions with their host employers. Read about our interns individually on our social media via our #MeetTheInterns campaign! Instagram: www.instagram.com/clatsop.works Facebook: www.facebook.com/Clatsopworks Quotable quotes The Small Business Management Program can get you there! The path to successfully run and grow a business is filled with a variety of challenges and the journey can sometimes be overwhelming. You don’t have to do it alone! The Clatsop SBDC’s comprehensive 9-month business program is designed specifically for current business to take their business skills to the next level! Don’t miss this once-a-year opportunity to join the 2022-2023 SBM cohort , where you will lean from and work with expert in business, finance, management and operations. Where your business is the textbook! 15 Sessions + 1:1 Coaching = You at the Next Level Next cohort begins Fall 2022 $699 | Scholarships available! Call 503-338-2402 or visit OregonSBDC.org/Clatsop “I received a job off er — they want me to con- tinue on after my internship is over! Thank you so much! Clatsop works has helped me so much in fi nd- ing out what I want to do, and I wouldn’t have gotten this opportunity without this program!!!” —Delaney, summer 2022 Clatsop WORKS Intern “I’m grateful for the opportunity to explore careers and learn about the work experience. This experience will help determine what steps I take upon graduat- ing and give me a template to use for my future career path.” —Kaden, summer 2022 Clatsop WORKS Intern “I thought an internship through Clatsop WORKS would be a great opportunity to do meaningful work this summer in an area of interest. It’s been great — I’ve learned so much!” —Seth, summer 2022 Clatsop WORKS Intern “Clatsop WORKS off ered many internship pos- sibilities in my area of interest. What excites me is the opportunity to gain some work experience for my future career.” —Zander, summer 2022 Clatsop WORKS Intern For 2022, we had 27 host employers registered, with 62 positions, and we had 85 student applicants. Final results for summer cohort: 20 host employ- ers, 31 interns hired. The 31 interns represent all fi ve Clatsop County high schools, plus Clatsop Commu- nity College. Astoria HS = 14 Warrenton HS = 5 Knappa HS = 2 Seaside HS =4 Jewell HS = 1 Clatsop CC = 5 Thank you to our Host Employers for summer 2022: Astoria Public Library -City of Astoria Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce Bree & Associates Realty Cannon Beach PD Clatsop County Coastal Restoration Columbia Memorial Hospital Fast Lube & Oil Fort George Brewery Hampton Lumber Haystack Rock Awareness Helligso Construction Co. Lower Columbia Preservation Society Lums Auto PNW Automotive Providence Seaside Safe Harbor Animal Hospital Seaside School District Sunset Empire Park & Rec District Stahancyk, Kent & Hook Law Professional Development was a key part of the program and held on Wednesday mornings through- out the summer, and was a requirement of the employer and employees. We chose Career Exploration because: Exposure to diverse careers and industries adds value to students’ educational experience as it allows them to better understand the scope of opportunities available to them. Students involved in career exploration learn what the workforce looks like and with a better under- standing of what is to come, they are more likely to be motivated when confronted with big life decisions. Career exploration enables students to gain valu- able insight into potential careers, what skills are nec- essary and what routes they can take to reach their goals. Student Interns experience interactive presen- tations, tours, and behind-the-scenes looks at vari- ous career areas including: Marine Biology, Natural Conservation, Culinary, Hospitality, Marketing, Craft Brewing, Maritime, Marine Piloting, Wildlife Rescue, Firefi ghting, Welding, Automotive, Historic Preserva- tion (In addition, the coordinator completes an on-site check-in with each student intern and their supervisor) Clatsop WORKS Coordinator Misty Bateman and I thank all the employers who stepped up this year, several who have been with the program since the beginning and new participants who came on this year. The feedback from the employers has also been very positive, and we look forward to building this program stronger each year! For more details on the program, to be an employer for this coming year, if you have a student who may be interested, or if there is anything we can assist with, please contact Misty at mbateman@clat- sopcc.edu or call her at 503-338-2507. Kevin Leahy is the executive director of Clatsop Economic Development Resources and the Clatsop Community College Small Business Development Center. Reach him at kleahy@clatsopcc.edu or call 503-338-2402.
