High school juniors and seniors within driving distance of
Putnam, Kanawha and Cabell counties are given the chance to
apply and be hired by the companies. The students experience
a four-week summer internship where they receive high-quality
training and orientation, as well as weekly webinars focused
on developing valuable soft skills. When they complete the in-
ternship, the participants are eligible to receive college credit.
“During their final presentations, interns consistently reported
that their four-week internship experience was both eye open-
ing and life changing. Numerous students mentioned that the
experience had changed or solidified their career plans for the
future,” says Courts. “The summer internship program allows
the alliance to fill a niche that connects businesses directly with
students in a meaningful way that benefits the student and the
business partner and helps build the state’s human capital.”
Reintegrate Appalachia
The Appalachian region has suffered greatly from the opioid
epidemic, and West Virginia has been one of the hardest-hit
areas. According to Terry Danielson, the southern program
manager of Reintegrate Appalachia, a nonprofit workforce
development program designed specifically for those recov-
ering from substance use disorder, a high percentage of West
Virginia’s population suffers from this disorder, and the
result is an extremely dislocated workforce.
The concept for Reintegrate Appalachia was created soon
after Doug Leech, founder and CEO of Ascension Recovery
Services, and Brandon Dennison, founder and CEO of Coal-
field Development, met in 2016. A few years later, a funding
opportunity presented itself, and in 2019, Reintegrate Appa-
lachia was launched.
The program aims to re-engage individuals in early recovery
in their community through meaningful employment, the
opportunity to continue their education and grow their profes-
sional skills and the clinical and peer-to-peer support needed to
maintain sobriety. An individual applies to the program after
successfully completing a medically managed withdrawal and
clinical stabilization treatment program.
“This program will provide that extra layer of support
needed so the participant can reintegrate into the workforce
and deal with the stress and frustration that comes with get-
ting and holding a job,” says Danielson. “It also provides the
monitoring that helps ease the minds of those who are giving
the participants an opportunity to become employed again.”
Reintegrate Appalachia has had 43 participants since its
inception, 23 of which are still active with the program and
gainfully employed. Many participants find work in the hos-
pitality field while others are working as laborers.
“Stigma has been a barrier for employment,” says Danielson.
“Many of these individuals do not have a valid driver’s
license or a vehicle, so transportation is a huge barrier, as are
daycare needs.”
While the applicant can be from anywhere in the Appalachian
region, the target counties are Braxton, McDowell, Monongalia
and Wayne. In the future, Reintegrate Appalachia hopes to
expand into other counties.
“We want to continue creating a fine-tuned model of what is
working in the state of West Virginia concerning employment,
education and training for individuals in early recovery,” he says.
Students showcase their portfolios and skills to potential
employers at one of the state’s Reverse Job Fairs.
Photo by WV Department of Education.
Reverse Job Fairs
After identifying a disconnect between skilled high school
graduates and employers in the state that are looking to hire
workers, the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE)
partnered with Career Technical Education (CTE) centers
across the state to host a series of Reverse Job Fairs. The goal
was to connect employers with West Virginia’s emerging work-
force: graduating CTE students who are drug-free, certified
by industry recognized standards and seeking employment
after graduation.
This spin on the traditional job fair gives students the oppor-
tunity to set up specific booths that showcase their technical
skills and portfolios to participating employers looking to hire
skilled workers. Throughout the eight fairs held in the first
year of the program, 19 of West Virginia’s 55 counties partic-
ipated, and the fairs brought in 239 business representatives
from 133 unique companies.
“The success of the Reverse Job Fairs went beyond our expec-
tations. Next year, many schools will be offering this opportunity
for employers seeking highly skilled and drug-free workers,”
says Associate State Superintendent of Schools Kathy D’Antoni.
“West Virginia has phenomenal young people who would like
to stay in West Virginia, work and raise their families. It is up
to us to nurture, train, educate and retain them.”
Data from the National Skills Coalition shows that 57 percent
of the state’s jobs are in middle-skill sectors and require educa-
tion beyond high school but not necessarily a four-year degree.
These jobs make up the majority of the nation’s workforce as
well. D’Antoni explains that both nationally and statewide, key
industries have a difficult time finding workers to fill these jobs,
thus creating a skills gap. The primary focus of the WVDE’s
CTEs is to address the demands of the state’s workforce.
According to D’Antoni, the atmosphere at the Reverse Job
Fairs is exciting and electric. “Businesses were impressed by
the quality and skill level of the students and amazed at the
number of different programs being offered and the equipment
students were being trained on,” she says.
The Reverse Job Fairs are an important step in bridging
the communication gap between the employment opportuni-
ties and young people in West Virginia while also creating a
vibrant economy.
WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM
SUMMER 2019
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