Port Clinton High School Principal Gary Steyer shares his first job experience with students as part of the BEACON classroom’s “Let’s Get Real” Series.

The Port Clinton High School BEACON Program has five years under its belt and is now able to add even more tasks to its list of student experiences. They have teamed with Port Clinton High School’s Job Coach Blayze Behney to bring in speakers for a “Let’s Get Real” series.

BEACON is an initiative created by the Special Education Department to meet the needs of students who have a Transition Plan. Scott Cross, Diane Rosiar and Lori Scalf developed this program in 2016 and it has grown each year, thanks to the support of the district and community volunteers willing to share their wisdom.

BEACON students are working toward earning their Ohio Means Jobs (OMJ) Career Readiness Seal, which will be placed on their diploma.

The OMJ Seal involves not only working within the community, but also learning about 14 professional skills and demonstrating proficiency in each.

“Let’s Get Real” sessions offer the students a first-hand look at the use of the 14 professional skills in real-life work situations and allow the students to learn more about a variety of career fields.

BEACON teachers are  currently looking for speakers from the community for the months to come in becoming familiar in the following areas:  December – Chef & Restaurant/Hospitality; January – Personal Service Needs, which includes auto, sales, towing, cosmetology, therapy; February – Local Business Spotlights and Community Members “Words of Wisdom,” March – Health Medical Field, STNA, MA, Coding, Scribing, Records, all areas of a hospital and medical practice; April – Military, all branches of service and other fields not previously mentioned; and May — Emergency Services EMT, Fire, Paramedic and Factories.

“Port Clinton Community Members are some of the most valuable resources we have, so who better to speak to the students who will soon be part of the growth of this fantastic city?” asked Scalf. Members of the community willing to share their job experiences are asked to contact Lori Scalf at 419-734-2147 or lscalf@pccsd-k12.net.

In October the focus was about First Job Experiences, and teachers wanted the focus to be about teamwork and punctuality skills. District celebrities were invited to speak to students about their first job in order to impress upon the students that everyone starts somewhere, that the job search may not be easy, and that there is no job too small or unimportant.

Sixteen staff members talked about jobs ranging from working in such businesses as a farm, a video rental store, factories, grocery stores and lifeguarding. Each speaker was asked to offer three skills that they felt were the most important for anyone entering the workforce in any field.  The Top 3 were communication, responsibility and attitude, or mindset. The guest speakers for November have all pursued careers in law enforcement, including five speakers who are Port Clinton alumni. Each had taken a different path in law enforcement to present this month to the students.