November 13, 2003

More than 130 Muskegon County teachers had an opportunity to see the inner workings of a local business this week by participating in Educator in the Workplace. The program, a collaborative effort of the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District, Muskegon Area First, and the Chamber of Commerce, seeks to provide area teachers with a more complete understanding of the potential career opportunities that are available to the students they interact with each and every day. The event brought educators to six different area companies, where they had an opportunity to meet and interact with owners, managers, human resource professionals, and employees as well as a chance to tour the facility.

Jean Naramore of the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District commented, “Since many of our educators have not had the opportunity to experience work outside school, the Educator in the Workplace program supports their efforts in providing connections to the world beyond the classroom. It is an opportunity for educators to explore how what they teach is directly applied in the workplace.”

The following area firms participated in the program representing their respective career pathway:

Steve Busch, HR Director for Sappi, stated, “It was a good event with a large amount of participation and diversity from school systems, backgrounds, and grade levels. It is especially good to get teachers out and about in the industrial field.”

During the visits, educators experienced guided tours and heard presentations about the organization’s history and mission, products and/or services, careers, compensation rates, and education and training requirements. Holly Lookabaugh- Deur of Generation Care commented, "I thoroughly appreciated having teachers take the time to learn about what ‘real’ is happening in health care. I am so proud of the teachers that joined us – they really care about what messages their students hear about the future."

Each session also included an interactive dialogue on how business and education can partner in preparing tomorrow’s workforce. Mary Kay Millard from Holton High School plans on discussing the event with her students by, “suggesting a tour, sharing the importance of Sappi in our local economy, and emphasizing the need for entry level skills including punctuality and teamwork.”

This was the third year of the event, which has now brought over 430 teachers to one of 24 participating businesses.

If you are interested in becoming involved in an upcoming Educator in the Workplace Event, please contact Laura Kroger at 231.724.3179.