Grant fosters business partnerships for ROP students
While students in some classes spend a lot of time reading books
and writing essays, Regional Occupational Programs focus on giving
students a sample of on-the-job experience.
”
They get experience they wouldn’t get at the school,
”
said Dave Tari, who teaches sports medicine at San Benito High
School.
”
They get to learn from other experts in the field. They get to
see if this is really the job they want to do for the rest of their
lives.
”
Grant fosters business partnerships for ROP students
While students in some classes spend a lot of time reading books and writing essays, Regional Occupational Programs focus on giving students a sample of on-the-job experience.
“They get experience they wouldn’t get at the school,” said Dave Tari, who teaches sports medicine at San Benito High School. “They get to learn from other experts in the field. They get to see if this is really the job they want to do for the rest of their lives.”
Sports medicine in the field
More than that, Tari said, it offers students contacts for the future if they do decide to pursue a career in sports medicine or physical therapy.
Tari’s students have participated in internships, clinics or outside field work at Focus Sports Therapy, Gold’s Gym and Parkside Physical Therapy in Gilroy. They are also working with special education students who will participate in the Baler Gifted Games May 15, and have volunteered with the American Red Cross at blood drives.
John Ceglia, of Focus Sports Therapy, said the partnership is a winner.
“Basically, the way we started it, the kids that were interested in going into sports medicine and not a training room, could come over and volunteer some hours and get exposure to this kind of practice,” Ceglia said.
Some of the students who did well with the internships were offered summer jobs.
“Of the 10, we hired probably six for periods of time until they left and went to college,” he said. “Two are going into therapy and one is going to med school.”
He recalled how when he applied for a physical therapy program, thousands of students were seeking a few spots. One girl who was accepted attended classes for a few weeks before realizing the course wasn’t what she expected and dropped out.
“They get exposure and we find people that might be able to help us in the long run,” Ceglia said. “It gives us a pool of employees that we might not get otherwise. We don’t just show what we are doing.
“We try to teach them about different modals, ways of treatment. Frequently, I’ll just quiz them and ask them about stuff Dave has taught them in class.”
Tari is always looking for more opportunities for his students, and has contacted coordinators with Hollister Pop Warner and Hollister Little League in hopes of setting up a partnership.
“I’m trying to set some stuff up, but I need to get people to call me back,” he said. “Get these kid some experience, get them paid a little bit of money and we are even talking about starting a scholarship fund.”
Building business partnerships
A new program through the Santa Clara Office of Education Regional Occupational Centers and Programs, which serves the San Benito ROP program, could help Tari and other teachers connect their students with outside experiences.
Through a grant, the Office of Education staff hired Gregory Cabrera as a business partnership coordinator. The grant, dubbed the “Stepping Stones Collaborative Grant,” is from the California Department of Education. It supports what is referred to as career-technical education pathways, which are programs for high school and post-secondary students that often require a multi-year course while integrating academics with technical and occupational knowledge. Many ROP programs fall into the category.
Cabrera has been on the job for three months and he is still getting his footing in the newly created position.
“If there is a business that is interested in ROP, that is definitely welcome,” he said. “They can determine how they would like to be involved. We can do things through projects, through externships and internships.”
One of Cabera’s focuses will be connecting business owners or employers who may be interested in offering support to an ROP program, but who don’t know a teacher or someone on campus.
“I would go down there, talk to them, talk about ideas they have,” he said.
Dave Matuszak, director of the regional occupational program for South County, said the position is a half-time, one-year opening. He estimated that of the 4,000 students in ROP classes in the region, only 400 have had internships or other experiences with businesses in the field.
“I’d like to see more,” he said. “By more, I mean enough that all the students could get that opportunity. It would take a lot of sites to get all the students involved.”
He acknowledged that it takes a lot of time to make partnerships happen and that there are some obstacles, though he hopes the partnership coordinator can help overcome those.
“It really is about giving students opportunities here to follow a career path,” Cabrera said. “What do [the paths] look like? They are not always clear when you are in ROP programs, or in education, in general.”
Cabrera talked about how his own experience in an ROP program prepared him to be a bank teller, where he worked while completing bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Sonja Romero, the ROP specialist at San Benito High School, said internships can be beneficial for both students and employers.
“Whether going into a vocation or a four-year program, it’s almost necessary to have an internship,” Romero said. “I have a college graduate who is putting together a resume and he doesn’t have the internships. Employers want the knowledge and the experience.”
Through ROP, students receive certificates that they have met the competency requirements for certain careers. With some of the programs, the students are prepared to start work in their fields, while others have a leg up if they do decide to go to a technical school, community college or four-year college.
Tari said his sports medicine students could get work straight out of high school, but it would pay minimum wage. Getting an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree increases the chance for a higher salary.
“We want to look at what are student needs – what do they need to be successful – and how can we help them?” Cabrera said. “Then we can frame it about that.”
For more information on business partnerships, contact Gregory Cabrera at 408-723-6474, or visit www.sccoe.org/depts/rop.
