TTW gives students life, job skills

BLOOMINGDALE -- The Transition To Work program at Jefferson County Joint Vocational School is giving special needs students skills to help them both in life and on the job.

Students have learned tools to become more independent and even work, but COVID has temporarily shelved projects such as community worksites and altered operations of the school store. Instructor Christina Henderson said her class has done its best to conform with the changes and they still gain some experience in the process.

"The job sites are off for now," she said, noting that students have worked at six sites in the community from Gold Star Dog Kennel in Cadiz to Vaccaro Field in Steubenville.

"They can work on skills in the classroom, but when they are in the community the students are getting hands-on experience. It helps them connect the dots and be more successful and they use their learned skills in a real environment."

She was happy to see the school store back open for business, saying students prepare popcorn, cookies and slushies for staff only and hopefully that will expand back to other JVS students in the near future.

"The adults deliver orders and we follow all of the health and safety guidelines," Henderson said. "It allows students to reconnect with the job skills they learned last year and they have a job site where they can have ownership."

With the store, students practice setting up and preparing items as well as math to measure ingredients and every dollar raised has gone to the student fund to cover expenses for field trips to restaurants and do Christmas shopping. Additionally, seniors Devin Rea and Ivana Virden said they have benefited from their experiences and learned new things.

"I learned how to make popcorn, how took cook a little bit and how to use the washer," said Rea.

"I learned to work as a cashier and to work the washer and dryer, how to do cookies and also the popcorn machine," added Virden.

Henderson said students also gain independent living skills to help them transition into mainstream society after high school.

"Our goal is to transition these skills to the job site, and if they can transfer and retain these skills before they graduate it will help make them more successful."