Ivy Tech Community College – Columbus and Seymour High School have partnered to provide high school seniors with in-depth, real-world career preparation experiences to prepare them for their next steps after graduating.
Seymour High School hosted two Career Day events this fall for its 350 seniors during which career specialists from the Ivy Tech Columbus Ivy+ Career Link team and other college officials helped seniors prepare for their senior interviews. The high school requires each senior to participate in a senior interview to ensure they have the skills necessary to attain employment.
By partnering with Ivy Tech, Seymour High School provided its seniors with access to trained career-preparation professionals who bring the most current information and techniques to help with employability. Ivy Tech’s staff helped students create paths to attain career goals along with gaining public practices and expectations in real world businesses and the academic world.
“Ivy Tech offered its career and college-preparation expertise to our students over the course of two Career Day events that enabled students to sharpen their skills and develop a greater understanding of what they will need to do to attain a career or be ready for college,” said Seymour High School English teacher Anita Parsch. “We’re truly grateful to Ivy Tech for partnering with us on this initiative to give our seniors the best possible preparation for their future endeavors.”
During the Career Day events, students learned how to build an effective resume, gained an understanding of different types of interview styles and how to prepare for each, practiced professional communication skills for the workplace, explored what skills today’s employers are looking for in employees, and participated in other career-focused activities with college faculty and staff.
This is the first year Seymour High School has partnered with Ivy Tech to provide additional depth and training for the students.
“The earlier students can begin thinking about and preparing for career opportunities, the better they will be when it comes time to apply for and interview for employment,” said Sara Williamson, an Ivy+ Career Coach at Ivy Tech Columbus. “Ivy Tech’s Ivy+ Career Link provides career services for Ivy Tech students, and we can seamlessly apply these same lessons to high school students who are preparing to graduate and considering their next steps.”
Ivy+ Career Link is an Ivy Tech team that provides transformative career development services for Ivy Tech students and alumni as well as a variety of talent connection opportunities and employee training for employers. Career Link focuses on honing the employability skills of students and the state’s workers, working to meet the specific skills and training needs of employers in Indiana and neighboring states.
Seymour High School and Ivy Tech plan to continue offering the Career Day events for seniors at the start of each school year.
“This is an excellent way to kick off the school year for our seniors,” Parsch said. “While they are looking forward to everything that their senior year will offer, this also encourages them to think about what’s next for them after their senior year.”
