Episode Details

Teacher:
They're working in an area that they're interested in pursuing once they graduate from high school.

Student:
I've always been passionate on working things, but you know mostly cars and smaller pickup trucks, so working on a bus, it's a whole other story.

Student:
I love the relationships that we have with everyone here. It feels like you actually work here.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They are getting top-notch on-the-job training from industry professionals while still in high school. On this episode of the Supercast, hear from some high school students themselves about the many benefits of internships offered in Career and Technical Education, or CTE. Find out how internships allow juniors and seniors to have fun doing what they love while exploring career paths, building professional networks, gaining industry-recognized skills, and earning high school credit.

Anthony Godfrey:
We are here at the Transportation Department talking with Melissa about the internship that students are participating in here as mechanics in the Transportation Department. Melissa, introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about this program and how it works.

Teacher:
Sure. So my name is Melissa Goble. I'm the CTE internship teacher for Jordan School District. This program is …. the students apply for it. They interview. We place interns in all CTE pathways. This just happens to be one of them. Once they're in the program, they have to get a minimum of 40 hours of internship time, and then they also complete a LinkedIn profile. We work on some employability skills, things like that. We just help mentor them through the semester.

Anthony Godfrey:
A lot of the internships are created with outside companies and other groups, but we get to benefit from these students and what they're learning right here in the Transportation Department. That's what's unique about this one.

Teacher:
Yes. It's great. We are very excited that our own district took on students. We're hoping that it will spread the excitement because it is beneficial. The kids get to be invested in their district. They're getting to learn new things, and they're with our own people.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now, you started recently in your role in the last year or two, and I have seen a real uptick in just presence on LinkedIn, and internships have really been propelled since you started, and we've added this emphasis on internships. Just talk generally about what would attract a student to an internship and the kinds of internships that we have available in the District.

Teacher:
What attracts them, generally what I find, attracts them to the internship is the opportunity to work with industry. They're working in an area that they're interested in pursuing once they graduate from high school. They're meeting people who could give them recommendations, mentor them, help point them in the right direction. Sometimes they know what they want to do, but they don't know how to get there. I also have students who come to my program because they think they know, and then they find out that they want to go a little bit different direction, which is also a great way to get through my program.

Anthony Godfre