Mercer County is small, but it is amazing how successful the SPOKES (Strategic Planning in Occupational Knowledge for Employment Success) program has been for the past eight years. This past year, 300 SPOKES students attended class to review basic skills, completed job search, found employment, and/or entered training programs or college.
Scores on the WorkKeys® Assessment are often Level 5 and above. The staff of four teachers goes beyond the normal duties, and they often do not leave the classroom until after 4:30 p.m. They have also created a great working climate with the WV DHHR workers who continually refer students to the program. Forty students may be present on any given day.
The success of this program is due to the teamwork of the four teachers. Jill presents lively, interactive modules; Rebecca personally assists each student with job-search, goal-setting, and advises students where job openings are available. Cheryl is the wonder-woman who motivates, teaches, and has the experience to share with other teachers and students. Pam, who is part-time, provides academic instruction along with Cheryl and Jill.
The teamwork has meant great achievement for the program. The teachers communicate on a daily basis with DHHR which also makes the program successful. E-mails, phone calls, and weekly visits by the workers keeps all informed of the students’ progress, attendance, and up-to-date status. This is true teamwork between agencies.
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