The Council on Youth is chaired by Teresa Miele, Human Resources Manager for Plasan Carbon Composites in Bennington. Teresa has been a long time advocate for youth development within our State of Vermont and was the first “School to Work” coordinator for the RRWIB in 1996. Teresa brings tremendous energy and a solid knowledge of career pathways for youth to this working committee.
The overall focus of the Council on Youth is to bridge between the public school system and the business community in offering a variety of career awareness and development opportunities to students in the county. Priorities for 2011-2012 include the following projects.
- Learn to Earn—a career exposure program for students in 7th though 10th grades. The specific experiences vary to meet the age appropriateness. The initial experience is “Your Journey Starts Here!” This one-day event is held on the Castleton State College campus and guides students to an awareness of future opportunities and their need to begin the process of exploration. Other events are in-school presentations by regional businesses that increase in depth and hands-on experience.
- College Connections is a program offering dual enrollment (high school and college credits) aimed at enhancing the transition from high school to post-secondary education. It it targeted to students in grades 11-12.
- TIPS Internships is a program for 11-12th grade students providing pre-employment skills for successful job seeking, an unpaid internship of 40 hours and leading to paid employment.
- To learn more about these programs, link to the individual program.