When talking to manufacturers, it is rare, when asked, “what is your greatest need?” It is rare the answer is anything other than a prepared and qualified workforce. In many traditional educational environments, the educators “assume” they know what the workforce needs without conferring with the end user – the employer. This concept flips the script and allows the future employers to build a system that as Stephen Covey would say, “begins with the end in mind.” The sector guided platform allows for the employers to work alongside the educators to fill that gap between preparation and expectation that often exists when the kids enter the workforce.
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Great Oaks, Iowa’s first public charter high school, targeted at kids who have abandoned their education, will fill many needs. The greatest need might be considered a workforce pipeline that equips these oft forgotten kids with skills to immediately plug them into jobs that build financial success and rewarding careers.
A concept Governor Reynolds became aware of not even a year ago, Great Oaks triple the number is mirrored after a wildly successful initiative created by Oakmont Education out of Ohio who has been reimagining education for years now. Guided by the principle that “you only make progress if you measure it,” Oakmont has tripled the number of graduates since its inception in 2018. Fast tracking its Iowa presence, Great Oaks High School will open in Des Moines, providing a much needed sector strategy for Advanced Manufacturing. Available as an option to anyone in the metro with transportation availability to its campus at Park Fair Mall, this tremendous resource will fill a very critical need not only for employers, but for students who just couldn’t make the current educational system work for their needs. Leisa interviews Kris Byam, Great Oaks Executive Director and Dr. Jerry Farley, VP of Career Technical Education for Oakmont Education. For more information go to www.oakmontedu.org or www.hs.greatoaks.com for more information. To reach Kris, email kris.byam@greatoakshigh.org.