CHENANGO – DCMO BOCES received funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to implement a pilot program that will help transition students from high school to careers locally.

Most of the $112,000 grant will offset the cost of paid internships for students during the summer of 2022.

In addition, five employers will be selected to receive a $5,000 stipend to implement a plan that improves graduates opportunities to remain employed after the internship program.

District Superintendent Perry T. Dewey commented on the key goal of the program, “This effort aims at improving the opportunities for high school students who wish to remain locally to be hired and supported to launch their career path with local employers. We are extremely grateful to ARC for their vision to explore pilot programs like this that improve opportunities for employers to connect with the schools we serve.”

According to Director of Career and Technical Education Jennifer Waite, the application process was simple.

“One online application helps employers begin the process. The application guides employers to analyze their capacity to host an internship program. We hope to engage the participation of many employers in the region in this process to begin communications and explore opportunities,” said Waite.

Dewey explained the unique element of the program by saying, “What makes this program different is that we are introducing a new resource for employers to bypass the traditional expenses and labor involved with the development of an internship program. By using a temporary employment agency as the vehicle, employers can budget an amount of money per student and allow the employment agency to handle all the screening, testing, and payroll obligations.”

According to Dewey, the grant funding will issue payment to the employer directly to pay for the payroll invoice giving employers the freedom to use their time to coach graduates rather than handling employment tasks.

DCMO BOCES is looking for employers to apply for the funding. The application is now open. A copy of the recorded presentation is available and also the online application and information documents.

Employers interested in exploring this opportunity are urged to contact the Career Destinations Team at careerdestinations@dcmoboces.com. Information will also be available on the organization’s website at WWW.DCMOBOCES.COM.

– DCMO BOCES