BVEF Student to Jobs Connection The Blackstone Valley Education Foundation is launching a major new jobs initiative in response to requests from member schools and partnering businesses. This five-part program will focus on connecting educators to the current and future workforce needs of the Blackstone Valley in order to match students with specific employment opportunities. Phases 1 & 2 will provide on-site professional development sessions for engineering technology, science, and math teachers and school counselors at local manufacturers. These professional development sessions will include meetings with current employees and supervisors in order to discuss specific skills and background needed to enter the manufacturing field either directly after high school or following post-secondary education. Phase 3 will provide the same opportunity at a major local health care provider. This professional development phase will target science and health teachers who work with students interested in entering the growing health services and personal health care fields. Phase 4 will offer a new Student-to-Career Soft Skills Jobs Conference that will introduce students to many of the critical 'soft skills' such as personal communication, team work and work ethic required for success in a job. Phase 5 will include the 3rd Annual Blackstone Valley Business & Education Forum on Thursday, April 2, from 4:00pm-6:00pm, at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Sutton. Senior managers from local business and industry will partner with superintendents, principals, teachers and school counselors to draft specific guidelines and identify critical resources needed to more effectively develop jobs connection opportunities for students prior to graduation. Additional information and event details will be forwarded over the coming weeks. Questions may be emailed to Paul Lynskey, Executive Director, BVEF, at [email protected].