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WHAT IS
LEARN TO EARN?
 Learn to Earn is a workforce development program that markets career opportunities
to high school students and their parents. Learn to Earn is sponsored by the Greater
Burlington Industrial Corporation (GBIC) the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Originally created by Kelliher, Samets, Volk, a Burlington-based public relations
and marketing firm, Learn to Earn is a "career bound" education initiative
that creates pathways to careers in manufacturing, technology and value-added businesses.
WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF LEARN TO EARN?
Learn to Earn is designed to encourage high school and pre-high school students to
enroll in higher level math, science and technology courses that will help prepare
them for the increasing number of high-tech jobs in Vermont. Another goal is to create
greater awareness about the exciting career opportunities that exist in local companies
and to encourage students to consider entering these careers.
 HOW DOES
IT WORK?
There are several components of Learn to Earn: 1) a fun, identifiable logo;
2) dynamic in-school presentations by technicians and engineer teams from the local
high-tech business community; 3) an interactive website that focuses on students
that includes: an interactive CD ROM
(Click on the graphic to the left to see some screen shots from the CD-ROM), a live chat line with
high-tech CEO's, an on-line database for schools and companies to connect and schedule
in-school presentations, job shadows, internships, links to employment sites and
career information and a link for each region of the state including specific information
about major high-tech companies, job listings, skills needed and full motion video
of employees speaking about their careers. The website will also be a place to learn
where and when Career Fairs and special Learn to Earn events will be held.
HOW MANY SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS ARE INVOLVED SO FAR?
So far, over 6,000 high school students and parents and at least 30 teachers and
guidance counselors within Franklin and Chittenden counties have been engaged in
Learn to Earn. Over the next 18 months, approximately 8,745 Vermont students and
66 high schools statewide will be active in Learn to Earn.
WHAT ARE THE RESULTS TO DATE?
Following in-school presentations, forty-nine percent of Franklin & Chittenden
County students that participated in an on-line survey stated that they will take
more difficult math and science courses in high school and are more interested in
high-tech careers. This is 30% higher than the previous year's responses. Students
also expressed more interest in job-shadowing and company tours to the presenters'
businesses. (NOTE: To find out
more about the positive impact Learn to Earn has had on students, see how those students
responded to five questions posed in a recent survey for the 1999-2000
school year.)
WHAT COMPANIES, STATE AGENCIES, AND NON-PROFITS ARE INVOLVED?
Forty-nine area companies and organizations have participated, including: Ben &
Jerry's, Bertek Systems, BF Goodrich Aircraft Integrated Systems, Burlington Free
Press, Burton Snowboards, Champlain Cable, Control Technologies, Mr. Timothy Dudley,
Edlund Co., Energizer, Fab-Tech, Filene's, Franklin County Cheese Corporation, Franklin
Grand Isle Workforce Investment Board, General Dynamics Armament Systems, G.S. Blodgett,
GBIC, Griffin International, Hazelett Strip-Casting, Huber & Suhner, Husky Injection
Molding Systems, IBM, IDX, KeyBank, Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce,
The Lake Champlain Regional Workforce Investment Board, The Lane Press, "Linking
Learning to Life", Merchants Bank, Mylan Technologies, New England Air Systems,
Northwestern Medical Center, Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company, Polhemus, Reed Consulting,
R.E.M. Development, Resolution, Shelburne Plastics, Tensolite, VT Army National Guard,
VT Department of Economic Development, VT Department of Employment & Training,
VT Fastener Manufacturing, VT Heating & Ventilating, VT Indexable Tooling, VT
Institute for Science, Math & Technology, VT Manufacturing Extension Center,
VT Mutual Insurance, VT Precision Tools, VT Student Assistance Corporation and Wyeth
Nutritionals.
HOW CAN I LEARN MORE?
To bring Learn to Earn to your community, please contact: Donna Bombard, Learn to
Earn Statewide Coordinator for the Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation (GBIC)
& the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce, at (802) 863-3489, ext. 206
or donna@vermont.org.
RESOURCES:
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