LEWIS CENTER — Career exploration isn’t an elective at Olentangy Local Schools — it’s part of the curriculum.
Students got a hands-on look at where that curriculum could take them Sept. 16 during the district’s annual Bridging the Future event at Olentangy High School.
The event brought local businesses and industry professionals together with students to explore career paths and learn about the skills Central Ohio employers are looking for.
Columbus State Community College President David Harrison delivered the keynote address, emphasizing the importance of preparing students for life after graduation and the workforce.
Harrison said Central Ohio’s size, location and economic growth put students near the center of many of the state’s workforce development efforts.
“There are so many jobs that are emerging in this community that most people don’t understand,” Harrison said.
Part of his role, he said, is helping students understand what those jobs are and the education and skills needed to pursue them.
Columbus State serves more than 10,000 high school students through College Credit Plus, Harrison said, with Olentangy students representing the largest share.
After graduation, students can also pursue two-year associate degrees at Columbus State in fields including engineering, manufacturing, construction, health sciences and welding.
Industry leaders encourage students to explore
Seven local industry leaders joined a panel following Harrison’s keynote to offer career advice and share what students have learned through internships, job shadowing and other workplace experiences.
The panel included representatives from JPMorgan Chase, Karpinski Engineering, OSU Wexner Medical Center, Robertson Construction, Vaughn Industries and Worthington Steel.
Jarrod Gilliam is now a senior electrical technical manager at Karpinski Engineering who graduated from Olentangy Orange High School. He encouraged students to take advantage of career exploration opportunities he wishes he had pursued as a student.
“One thing that I don’t think I took advantage of is the opportunities outside of the classroom,” Gilliam said. “So, for instance, the BridgED program like this, I know back in high school, I probably wouldn’t have taken advantage of that.”
His other advice was simpler: Find someone doing something that interests you and reach out.
Charlotte O’Neal of JPMorganChase encouraged students to explore STEM careers even if they don’t initially see themselves in those fields, noting that some positions combine technical work with creative or artistic skills.
Elizabeth Lanker of the OSU Wexner Medical Center said job shadowing can help students discover careers they didn’t know existed — or learn that the career they originally envisioned isn’t for them.
“We see the students who essentially wrote themselves off from being in a healthcare career, coming in and not realizing that … there is a spot for them,” Lanker said.
Other students arrive expecting to become doctors or nurses and change their minds after seeing those jobs up close, she said, instead discovering other healthcare careers that better fit their interests.
After the panel, students and community members visited 25 booths staffed by local businesses and industry professionals, where they could participate in interactive demonstrations and ask questions about different careers.
Career exploration extends beyond one event
Bridging the Future is only one piece of Olentangy’s broader career exploration efforts.
The event serves as the capstone for Olentangy: BridgED, an initiative designed to “bridge the gap” between K-12 education and the local business community.
Assistant Director of Strategic Partnerships Molly Preston created BridgED more than four years ago to expose students to Ohio industries, help them understand career pathways after graduation and connect them with opportunities such as internships and job shadowing.
“Really the goal is to create access, awareness and understanding. We want to make sure that all students are aware of different career pathways,” Preston said.
It started with less than 10 business partners, and it’s now grown to include over 40. But Preston said it’s not about the number of partners — it’s about having businesses capable of providing meaningful experiences for its large student population.
Partners include Honda, Intel, JPMorganChase, OhioHealth, Robertson Construction and the Delaware County Finance Authority.
Those partnerships extend beyond Bridging the Future and into Olentangy’s classrooms.
Middle school students, for example, participate in an annual career exploration day focused on the healthcare and construction industries.
Students at all six middle schools rotate through 12 construction stations covering areas including design, business operations and hands-on construction work. They also visit five healthcare stations highlighting careers in respiratory therapy, imaging, physical therapy and other fields.
Preston said nine out of 10 participating students reported learning something new about those industries or the careers available within them.
“If we had a healthcare provider come to one of the schools, chances are a student may not go because they are saying, ‘Oh, I don’t wanna be a doctor or a nurse,’” Preston said. “Well, we know now that 80% of the positions in healthcare aren’t a doctor or a nurse.”
High school students get opportunities to take career exploration further.
Two OSU Wexner Medical Center surgeons bring their surgical teams into Olentangy high schools for two-hour presentations that walk students through a live surgery and explain the different roles involved in the procedure.
Students can then connect with members of the team to arrange job-shadowing opportunities, Preston said.
Students at each Olentangy high school can also take a mentorship class that includes an internship and 40 hours of on-site work experience.
As for the future of BridgED, Preston said she hopes to eventually expand career readiness into a K-12 experience.
She said she’s always monitoring Ohio’s in-demand careers, connecting with students and counselors to gauge career path interests and keeping an eye on industry trends in the area.
