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BEA promotes
local opportunities in education and jobs
New Web site invites students to build a future locally
 A
plan that builds lines of communication between local businesses
and educators could encourage many area students to pursue
careers in the Hamilton, Fulton and Montgomery counties. The HFM
Business Education Alliance has launched a promotional campaign
to highlight the educational, career and job opportunities
available in the area.
HFM BOCES, along with area school districts, were instrumental
in getting the BEA up and running, providing funds to help
launch the initiative. The HFM Business Education Alliance grew
out of the Fulton Montgomery Education Initiative of the
mid-1990s, which worked to unite business and education to
promote better learning for students. The BEA is now a coalition
of schools, economic development agencies, and chambers of
commerce all working toward the goal of a more vibrant community
and local economy.
 The
new campaign, promoted through billboards, posters and
brochures, hopes to assist local educators and businesses by
helping to improve high school graduation rates, spread
awareness of the region’s industries and the opportunities they
offer, assist area school districts to further integrate
workplace skills into programs of study, and to strengthen the
bond between business and education to grow a more skilled
workforce.
Central to the campaign is a new Web site –
www.thebea.org – that
provides resources for students, parents, local business owners
and educators. A element of the Web site, and the focus of the
promotional campaign, is the success stories of local students
that have built successful and satisfying careers in the
three-county area.
The BEA looks to address the often voiced concern that there is
a lack of job opportunities in the area. By implementing a plan
that addresses the interests of both local businesses with jobs
to fill and graduates seeking work in the area, the BEA hopes to
bridge the gap that currently resides between the two.
The launch of the BEA’s website provides a platform where
schools, students, and business can connect. The site is the
first step in a series of strategies designed to bring
businesses and educators together to better prepare students for
local opportunities. The site features a number of great
resources for students and parents, businesses, and educators,
including links to helpful sites for choosing a school and
course of study, information about internships, job postings and
job search sites, a list of local businesses, and information on
the benefits of living in the Hamilton, Fulton and Montgomery
County area. |
