North Springs High juniors and seniors can learn by working at local companies through the school’s Work Based Learning program.
“We’re looking for what’s going to be aligned to what their future career passions are going to be,” said Brian Patterson, the program’s coordinator for North Springs.
He interviews approximately 200 students during the spring semester of their sophomore or junior year. Teacher and guidance counselor recommendations are considered, but it’s not just about grades, but finding a student’s passion.
“Every year I have a bunch of kids who say they want to be placed with a vet because they love animals. But some of them didn’t realize that they hate to see animals hurting,” Patterson said.
The Work Based Learning program originated as a co-op program, with students leaving the school at 1:30 p.m. for typical retail jobs. But when Patterson attended a training program in Hall County, he saw a better program.
“I wanted to create a program closer to what I saw in Hall County where kids really got to experience or be exposed to careers that were truly in their vocational passion,” he said.
His principal at the time was receptive to the suggestion, provided that he got 75 business partners who weren’t afraid to hire high school kids. Patterson said he knocked on a lot of doors and partnered with the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber of Commerce, the Sandy Springs Education Force, and local businesses.
With students’ constantly changing interests, he said the search for new business partners also is constant.
The businesses get first access to local talent that’s been vetted to help fill their workforce pipeline while the students get an opportunity to learn soft skills like communication, participation, critical thinking, and leadership ability.
The Work Based Learning program teaches students how to be better employees and how to do things that used to be considered common knowledge, things such as initiative, flexibility, adaptability and professionalism.
About 75 percent of the internships are paid, which Patterson said he encourages to remove any barriers to kids who couldn’t afford to take an unpaid position.
“Our largest partnerships are in medical, just because we’ve had such a robust healthcare program here for years,” he said.
Some students will earn their certified clinical medical assistant (CCNA), making them eligible to apply for jobs immediately. Every year, graduates have been placed at Emory St. Joseph’s Hospital. This year, a student will be placed in Northside Hospital’s business office because of his interest in the public health field.
Other students work at banks, law firms, graphics arts programs, and social media marketing. Engineering placements are beginning as North Springs has started an engineering pathway.
Businesses interested in partnering in the Work Based Learning program can email Patterson at PattersonB@fultonschools.org.