When high school junior Garine Palandgian goes on an interview she carriers her own portfolio.
Containing a cover letter, resume, transcript, and even a self evaluation of her skills and talents, Palandgian has spent the last year putting the package together as part of the Employability Portfolio Program at Toll Gate High School in Warwick.
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The experience, she said, has helped her decide what she wants to study in college, which, she said, happens to be education.
“This is a picture of you for potential employers to see,” Palandgian said of her portfolio. “Presenting this portfolio allowed me the opportunity to work with a local teacher, who has asked me to come back again this year. It allowed me to put myself out and really wear the shoes of a teacher.”
Palandgian shared her story last week with U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao, who made her first visit to the Ocean State to talk about President’s Bush’s proposed budget. Sitting in a circle inside the music room of Toll Gate High School in Warwick, Chao talked candidly with the students about her own experience in the workforce.
“I remember that when I was a little girl all I wanted to do was have my own apartment,” she said. “I truly believe that in this country if you work hard you can achieve anything.”
Chao, who is the 24th Secretary of Labor and the first Asian-American woman appointed to a President’s cabinet, also stressed the present need for a qualified work force – a need she said students like those at Toll Gate could fill.
“There is nothing more exciting than to see all of you and envision the potential you possess,” she said. “The number one issue that I hear from employers is that they can’t have enough people, because some don’t have the skills and some don’t have the training. That is something this program is helping with.”
For more than a decade the Warwick schools have been literally working with local businesses. Dr. James McCormick, president and chief executive officer of the Chamber Education Foundation, a division of the Central Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce, helped start the portfolio program at Toll Gate High School.
“Before they graduate from high school more than 80 percent of students will have had a part-time job of some type,” he said. “Programs like these are ways to enhance the economic development of the city as well as workforce development.”
With more than 400 students enrolled in the program this year alone, Kenneth Castelone, a teacher, said the program’s effects are far reaching.
“This is an education opportunity for students to learn how to present themselves,” he said. “These are useful skills that are paying off for the students and the community.”
Castelone said the program wouldn’t exist without the help of the business community.
“One of the things we found early on is that marketing to students was of no great value if they [the business community] didn’t embrace the concept,” he said.
But in fact, the business community has embraced the program with more than 150 of the city’s largest employers hiring the students from the program.
“The city of Warwick is one of the participating companies,” said Mayor Scott Avedisian. “We are very supportive of this program. It is just another tool for our students’ use. This package tells employers what the student think they are capable of doing, and at the same time they recognize their weaknesses. That’s an incredible up.”
Debbie Buonanno, a communications consultant for Met Life Insurance said the program gives students “a leg up” in the interview process with her company.
“This portfolio is very valuable for me when I am interviewing,” she said. “It tells me that this individual is very serious about the world or work and her/his education. We found it to be a winning situation for us.”
Gov. Lincoln Almond said the program does more than provide businesses with employees.
“If the business community can show students the relevance of critical thinking, it gives students a better feeling about what they are learning,” he said. “It’s more important to match skills with opportunity.”
Almond said it also gives students a chance to apply what they are learning.
“This program shows the relevance of education to the business community,” he said. “This girl knows what she wants to do before she gets to college; she knows what career path she wants to take. We want the business community to give this kind of opportunity to students. We know what we need in this state in terms of a workforce, but it is programs like this one that get kids interested in those fields.”
As for Palandgian, she is excited about returning to the classroom as an aide later this year, and maybe even next year.
“Without this portfolio I wouldn’t have had this opportunity,” she said.
