REACH

2017-2018 Program Snapshot

CAREERS/ COMMUNICATIONS • DRAFTING TECHNOLOGY & BLUE PRINT • CADD

Sophomores are invited to apply for the REACH initiative that will start their junior year.

Complete communication courses to develop necessary soft skills to succeed in the workplace.

Immersion experiences at area manufacturers to see different career options available.

Participation in existing off-campus programs with post-secondary education and business sector partners.

Paid summer internships between junior and senior years.

Complete courses earning college credits.

Graduate with immediate employment opportunities, or enroll in further education.

Preparing our students for their future career…
Helping provide a skilled workforce for our local businesses.

The REACH INITIATIVE is designed to address the growing gap between employer needs and worker skills, ensuring that students will complete degree or certificate programs in areas where they will have meaningful employment options. REACH begins this year in the fall with 30 juniors at Winona Senior High School. These students will spend their final two years of high school taking classes focused on both manufacturing and personal development, visiting and learning about Winona companies and opportunities, while earning the degrees and certificates they’ll need to fill those jobs.

The REACH STUDENT IMMERSION PROGRAM is designed to provide students training and experiences that go beyond academics. We are already focusing on work ready soft skills, life skills, and personal character. The immersion program needs business and industry to round out the workplace experience. REACH students need to learn and experience first hand the necessary workplace skills they will need in a business setting.

The immersion program is not a field trip; it is intended to be hands-on, interactive, capturing the imagination of the REACH students. The goal is to get REACH students excited about potential careers in manufacturing and to highlight some “cool factors” of manufacturing. It is strongly desirable that students have some interaction/time spent with employees under age 35 who are both highly skilled and could also help the students see themselves in your workforce/workplace in the future.

Program objectives:

  • Give students first-hand experience of the work environment.
  • Provide an opportunity to apply knowledge, skill sets, and techniques that they have gained from the classroom in real life situations.
  • Facilitating students to gain work experience in the field of manufacturing
  • Allowing students to adapt effectively to future manufacturing employment
  • Developing students’ good work ethics
  • Expanding students’ network of contacts
  • Practice business etiquette

REACH is a program of the Winona Area Chamber of Commerce Business Education Network, in collaboration with Winona Senior High School, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, Winona State University College of Business, Saint Mary’s University, and Minnesota State College Southeast