Salem High School Career Luncheon

Salem High School Career Luncheon

A Statement of the Problem
There is a growing need for students to be aware of the many career choices that
will be available in the years after their graduation. President Obama said, An
economy built to last demands that we keep doing everything we can to help students
learn the skills that businesses are looking for. This statement was made on the
remarks of the budget and the immediate need to provide as many opportunities as
possible to support the future workforce of America. The US News also indicates the
job market is expected to have more than 34 million additional jobs by 2020 (Moeller,
2012). This increase in the number of jobs is a direct relation to the reason students
need to start exploring the career and education options that will be available to them in
the future. The school divisions need to address the increase in the job market to make
sure all students are aware of all their options to help them make informed decisions
upon leaving high school.
In preparation for this authentic performance activity I interviewed the Director of
Secondary Education at Salem City Schools in Salem, VA. Curtis Hicks, indicated there
was an increased need to prepare students for the next step in education. Salem City
Schools had been working with the Junior Achievement (JA) Organization for two years
providing students with one day field trips to different jobs of their interest. The
opportunity provided by JA only included a few students per semester. Hicks, indicated
that he would like to see the school system provide in-house opportunities for more
students to attend and meet professionals in the community. He challenged me to work
with the Virginia Western Community College Career Coach, Paul Coleman, to provide

Salem High School Career Luncheon

a small group of students with a Career Luncheon. The focus of the luncheon would be
to introduce students to professionals in the community. The students would be able to
have lunch with them and ask any questions they may have about their career interests.
The Action Plan
The Salem High School Career Luncheon focuses on two of the Virginia Career
Clusters. The Virginia Career Clusters help students investigate careers and design
their courses of study to advance their career goals. Virginia has adopted the nationally
accepted structure of career clusters, career pathways and sample career specialties or
occupations. Within each career cluster, there are multiple career pathways that
represent a common set of skills and knowledge, both academic and technical,
necessary to pursue a full range of career opportunities within that pathway ranging
from entry level to management, including technical and professional career specialties.
The first luncheon took place on April 3rd, 2014 with the focus of Architecture
and Construction. The second luncheon will take place on May 8th, 2014 with the focus
of Business, Management, and Administration. The Career Luncheon provides
opportunities for students to speak to professionals in the community. A group of three
to four students eat lunch with the professional to ask questions about their future
career plans and interests. Prior to the event the students meet with a Career and
Technical Teacher and the Career Coach. They discuss their interests and indicate if
they would like to attend the event. At this time the teacher and career coach work with
them to develop a personal business card to include their skill sets and interests. The
students also develop five questions they would like to ask the professional. The

Salem High School Career Luncheon

budget for the event was provided by the Director of Secondary Education through
Perkins. Appendix A provides details of the event.
Effectiveness
The career luncheon on April 3rd involved 12 students and 7 business and
industry partners within the community. The business leaders were impressed with the
students questions. They indicated that they enjoyed the experience and hopefully
increased the students knowledge level of their career interest. The students loved the
event, some of them commented on the information they received really made them
know their career choice was exactly what they wanted to do. They enjoyed having the
smaller group setting to be able to ask their questions and the business leaders could
answer them directly.

I believe the event was very successful. The students were

able to practice communicating professionally and it only took up one lunch period. The
number of businesses and firms attending and willing to take time from their day to talk
to the students was humbling. We all want the students to be successful and find their
own path in life. The students at Salem High School are truly blessed to have people
willing to expose them to as many career choices as possible to guide them in their
future endeavors.
The next event will be held on May 8th focusing on the Business, Management,
and Administration Career Cluster.
My Role
The Career Luncheon was Sarah Gerrol, CTE Instructor and Paul Colemen,
Career Coach. The list below indicates the tasks we completed to make this event

Salem High School Career Luncheon

possible. This was truly an authentic performance activity that will be used next year to
include the other career clusters. Discussions have been made to have this event each
month focusing on different career clusters. This event would involve many businesses
and agencies within the community including all areas of student interest.
Responsibilities for making this event possible:
Sarah Gerrol (CTE Teacher)

Paul Coleman (VWCC Career Coach)

Discuss the needs of the students with Director of

Secondary Education at Salem City Schools.
Discuss the budget available for the event through
Perkins.

Plan the event dates with career coach and career

clusters the two events would focus on.

Reserve Conference Room for Career Luncheon

Dates
Analyze student interest records for Invitation to
Luncheon for the Architecture and Construction and
Business, Administration, and Management Career
Clusters
Meet with students to discuss interest in attending
the Career Luncheon.

Invite Engineer and Architect for 2nd and 3rd Lunches.

Invite welders and plumbers for 1st lunch.

Analyze budget and plan catering, plates, drinks, etc.

Examine student schedules for lunch times and

email communication to teachers if their schedule
needed to be altered.
Welcome the community business partners and
introduce them to the students

Meet with students attending the event to make

personal business cards and prepare five questions
for the luncheon.
Make Career Cluster Poster for event.
Make name cards for luncheon.
Plan and organize all food for the event.
Communicate with media for publishing the event.
-So Salem (Appendix B)
-Salem Times
-Salem High School Website
Setup conference room for the event
Welcome the community business partners and
introduce them to the students
Clean-up Event
Communicated any additional comments needed to
So Salem, Salem Times, Guidance, and
Administration.
Worked with students to send thank you notes to
industries involved in luncheon.

Clean-up Event

Salem High School Career Luncheon

Appendix A
CTE Career Luncheon

Purpose:
The CTE Career Luncheon provides opportunities for students to speak to professionals in the
community. A small group of students will eat lunch with a professional in one of the Virginia Career
Clusters to ask questions about their future career plan.
Prior to Event:
Students will prepare business cards including their skill sets. They will also prepare questions to ask
the professional during the luncheon.
Details:
Guidance Conference Room During Lunches
April 3 - Architecture and Construction

May 8- Business, Management, and

Administration

AEP 1st Lunch

(10:40am- 11:10am)
Steve Martin- Roanoke
Valley Plumbing and
Heating Apprenticeship
(2)

Students
Issac
Jerry
Nick
Michael
Austen

Lawyer- 1st

Students

Engineer- 2nd Lunch

(11:35am 12:05pm)
Andy Bishop -Plastics One
Mark Holder AEP (2)

Students
Justin
Kelsey
John

Business- 2nd

Students

Architect- 3rd Lunch

(12:30pm -1:00pm)
Jessie Newcomb- Hughes
Associates Architects and
Engineers

Students
Kate
Emilee
Matthew

Computer Programmer3rd

Students

Budget:
April 3
Chick-Fil-A Box Lunch 20 x $5.59 =
Drinks/Water = $15.00
Total for April 3rd = $126.80

May 8
$111.80

Total for CTE Luncheon Event Spring 2014 = $253.60

Chick-Fil-A Box Lunch 20 x $5.59 = $111.80

Drinks/Water= $15.00
Total for May 8th = $126.80

Salem High School Career Luncheon

Appendix B

Salem High Career Tech students have lunch with the pros
By Chad Parries | So Salem | Posted: Wednesday, April 9, 2014 4:00 pm
Representatives from several local businesses and organizations were on hand April 3 to
talk with Career Tech students about a potential future in that field.
The lunch was held in the school guidance conference area and catered by Chick-filA. Participating students received one on one guidance that Salem High School teacher
Sarah Gerrol believes will give them insight they will take with them for future
consideration.
"We just wanted to really give them the opportunity to ask questions," said Gerrol, who
teaches several classes at the high school geared at careers with their own specialty,
including engineering, architecture, and technical drawing. "With someone in that
profession here, they can ask about where they went to school, what kind of people they
usually hire, what type of degree they need...and just finding out what their job is really
about."
Among those represented at the meetings were Appalachian Power, Roanoke Valley
Plumbing and Heating Apprenticeship, Plastics One, and Hughes Associates Architects
and Engineers.
Students prepared business cards in preparation for their meetings, and thought of
questions to ask the professionals.
Gerrol is planning another similar event for students in early May.

Salem High School Career Luncheon

References
Ed.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved from Career Readiness for All:
http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget14/crosscuttingissues/careeracademies.pd
f
Moeller, P. (2012, September 12). US News. Retrieved from Where the Jobs Will Be in 2020:
http://money.usnews.com/money/careers/articles/2012/09/10/where-the-jobs-will-be-in2020?int=986a08
www.act.org. (n.d.). Retrieved from The Economic Benefits of Academic and Career Preparation:
http://www.act.org/research/policymakers/pdf/EconomicBenefits.pdf