Employer-Linked Charter School Initiative

SCHOOL TO WORK
Submitted by: Textron/Chamber of Commerce Providence Public Charter School, Providence, RI

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SUMMARY

At the Textron/Chamber of Commerce Providence Public Charter School, students participating in the job development/paid internship program work with top employers from the Providence business community. Through the program, students enjoy work opportunities that they would not have access to otherwise.

Reasons for Practice

Work experience is a part of school culture and a graduation requirement. Each student must demonstrate employability by the end of his or her 11th-grade year.

FULL DESCRIPTION

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THE HEART OF the Textron/Chamber of Commerce Providence Public Charter School (Textron Chamber) is the job development/paid internship program. This is in large part due to the efforts of the Director of Student Employment Steven Raffa. Mr. Raffa, an original founder of the school, has developed a wide network of job placements throughout the Providence business community. When a student becomes employable (through a host of factors such as attendance, grades, behavior, etc.), an interest conversation takes place between Mr. Raffa and the student. After finding the student's passion and interest, the two of them search for a suitable opportunity. Employers are willing to accept Textron Chamber School students as employees because they come prescreened, they have a greater sense of responsibility due to their connection with the school, and Mr. Raffa promptly corrects any problems that may arise with the placements. The formula seems simple enough: an interested adult matches employable student with a suitable employer and diligently monitors the placement. But yet it has taken a number of years to develop a large mentor base and to get the program running smoothly. Presently, over a hundred employers are involved with the program, and there are more jobs available than can be filled.

What has created this condition? Primarily, the job development piece is a part of the school culture. The school has always served this function. The jobs are good, high paying jobs with top employers: banks, CPA firms, law offices, United Parcel Service, insurance companies, HMOs, and community-based organizations. Naturally, Textron, Inc. and the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, the school's sponsors, are large employers. The jobs usually pay well above minimum wage and often have benefits. Students are highly valued for their language translation skills at banks and hospitals.

Secondly, work experience is a graduation requirement. A student must demonstrate employability by the end of their 11th-grade year. This is accomplished by working two or three afternoons a week for a six month period at a job developed by the school. If students can perform successfully for six months, then they have a choice of staying on with the job for a longer period or leaving it. A few students opt not to work, but the vast majority continue to work throughout their time at the school. At every graduation, about 5 of the 35 graduating students transition to full time employment at the job the school developed for them. Often, students who leave Rhode Island to attend college are welcomed back by their employers to work during vacations and summer.

ADVICE FOR OTHERS

Always remember that working with corporations to secure job placements for students is a service to the employer. The school offers a high quality worker who has a support network at school. Because student workers are teens, their labor is often at minimum wage or slightly higher, and this is attractive to employers. Placing students in real jobs with companies is not simply good corporate citizenship; it is a cost savings to the employer as well. Also remember that the relationship with the employer must be built over time. It is critical that a single individual be responsible for the students and be a responsive point person for the employer to contact in case there is a problem. Furthermore, it is crucial that the student and employer develop a mentor/mentee relationship. Having the employer know this expectation beforehand helps `in choosing the right job for the right student.