REACH: December 2020
Every fall, a new group of high school juniors joins the REACH program. To prepare our students for future interactions with our local businesses, REACH works with local professionals to teach soft skills to the students. While current health restrictions have changed how we interact with our students, what we teach has remained the same.
Our soft skills presentations were switched to a video format. Our business presenter was able to record the basic presentation so that all students in all cohorts had the same information. This was followed by a virtual question & answer meeting with the presenter. This allowed students to have consistent information as well as a chance to gather more specific data.
While the job-specific skills are important, the soft skills the REACH students learn make them a highly sought-after employee at any workplace. In addition, these skills give the students more confidence in their business interactions.
Typically, December means it is time to plan for business immersions for our REACH students. However, with health restrictions in place for both schools and businesses, on-site immersions will not be able to take place this spring. Instead, our REACH intern has been working with each student individually to discuss interests and connect them with local professionals for virtual interviews. This has allowed for a more personalized approach to student interests. As for internships and direct work experience, these will continue as usual as the student is employed directly by the business and subject to all health requirements for employees.
