Thomas County Central High School students continue to strive to be the best by maintaining jobs that will benefit them in the future.
Eight students have joined the Work-Based Learning program as Youth Apprentices focusing in the area of education, where they work with three-year-olds and learn the routine of a teacher at Hand-In-Hand Primary School.
The category is a structured program that connects school-based occupational instruction and related paid or nonpaid work-site experiences in order to prepare students for the world of work while providing Georgia with highly skilled, technologically competitive workforce.
“These students are the ones who clarify their career as an educator and are receiving first hand day-to-day teacher responsibilities,” Work Based Learning and Youth Apprenticeship Coordinator Michelle Ausley said.
These youth apprentices are participating in one of many areas this program provides. Youth Apprentices must have completed at least one unit of credit in a class related to his or her career pathway before being placed on a YAP job site, Ausley explained. The YAP job placement is a yearlong experience related to their career pathway.
A few of the duties for the apprentice are assisting the class room teacher with learning centers and instruction. Instruction time includes: story time activities, creative centers and learning songs to dance to.
“The brightest part of my day is always being at Hand-In-Hand where I get to work with some of the sweetest kids and have the job to be a role model for them,” apprentice Mikayla Fillyaw said. “I’m glad Thomas County Central gave me the opportunity.”
Ausley said, with this experience, apprentices entering college “will understand firsthand what the professor is teaching them and learn how to deal with all situations during the day of an educator.”
Apprentice Katie Johnson said this apprenticeship through Work Based Learning “has helped her realize she wants to have a career involving children.”
“I have learned how much of a passion I have for children,” apprentice Katie Johnson said. “It’s only been five months and I have already become so attached to all of them. I have also learned that a passion for children is needed for this job. This job has helped me and guided me in the right direction for my future.”
