We are excited to announce our latest partnership with the City of Concord, New Hampshire. This partnership aims to offer students career exploration opportunities and mentorship through career-focused learning experiences.
Human Resources Director Jennifer Johnston explained that the partnership between VLACS and the City of Concord was established to introduce students to the diverse range of career opportunities available at the City of Concord and other local government agencies.
“We’re continually looking for new pools of people to get involved and excited about opportunities in public service. When we got in touch with VLACS, we wanted to be able to share career opportunities with VLACS students and, in that effort, to help them understand the work that public sector employees do in a municipality,” Johnston said.
The City of Concord’s Public Information Officer Stefanie Breton added that this initiative has been a small way to make a significant impact.
An example of experiences we provide students through our partnerships include live career webinars we call “Career Connections.”
These webinars provide a platform for students to communicate with professionals and build their confidence when interacting with adults. Furthermore, they are an excellent way for students to identify jobs that align with their interests, establish career goals, and connect with someone who can help jumpstart their careers.
Professionals from the city have generously devoted their time to host Career Connections webinars, including a panel discussion with Johnston and Breton, as well as the city’s Public Property Superintendent, Parks and Recreation Supervisor, and Fire Chief.
During the discussion, these leaders described the various career pathways available to students within their department, emphasizing the many different avenues they can follow within the public sector.
“Fire Chief John Chisholm was there, and he actually connected with one of the VLACS students about an EMT program in the Keene area. So, he was able to potentially get a future EMT student in the mix,” Johnston said.
Breton added that during her solo Career Connections session about jobs in communications, she talked about her background in writing, which sparked a lot of curiosity among our students. She conveyed her enthusiasm for their thoughtful questions and hoped her answers empowered students to recognize the exciting jobs people can do when working for a local government.
By offering her perspective about the possibilities within a specific job type, students, in turn, can visualize a future with limitless options they can pursue.
Johnston commented that during her interactions with students, she encouraged them to explore every option leading them to accomplish their career goals.
“I hope students gain some insight into potential careers, even straight out of high school, because maybe college isn’t the path for them… It’s good to make them aware that work is out there and is available without formal education necessarily,” Johnston said.
We are grateful for the valuable insight professionals from the City of Concord have provided our students and their commitment to building a healthy and talented workforce.
Our goal is to continue developing these partnerships with professionals and organizations to create a pipeline of motivated students who are well-prepared to become the next generation of workers.
If you are interested in becoming a mentor to students in your community, explore partnership opportunities on our Business Partners page.
