By SARA FURLONG

s.furlong@bradfordera.com

(Editor’s note: The Bradford Era will highlight those Bradford Area High School students completing cooperative education placements with local businesses.)

For so many jobs, experience is required. But to secure experience, one first needs a job.

Bradford Area High School’s Cooperative Education Program aims to solve that puzzle, coordinating its students’ participation in meaningful employment arrangements with local businesses.

Co-op students are studying automotive technology, carpentry, childcare, engineering, health occupations, HVAC, machining, marketing and oil and gas production.

They are released from school to work part-time with a program partner employer. Students report to their assigned job training site as part of their school day.

The program helps students gain the competencies that are developed through paid, supervised, on-the-job training related to an occupational goal.

Businesses such as Zippo, Graham Packaging, Cummins Construction, Bradford Family Medicine, American Refining Group, Bradford Auto, Luv Toyota, The Guidance Center, the BASD Bus Garage and many more have all pitched in to give BHS… page A-10

Bradford Area High School students real-world experience.

In addition to the potential partial wage reimbursement, employers also benefit by developing a pipeline of future talent, providing a supplemental workforce and increasing company visibility in the community.

Employers are required to provide background clearances, complete performance evaluations to help determine the student’s grade, develop a job description in alignment with the student’s career and technical education class learning objectives, follow all state and federal labor and payroll laws and provide workers’ compensation coverage.

Each day through the end of the school year, The Era will spotlight a few BHS students earning real-world experience through the school’s Cooperative Education Program. Profiles will be shared through the end of the 2024-25 school year.

To start things off, MAYLA SMITH is a senior in the Early Childhood Education program. She said she chose this path due to her lifelong dream of becoming an elementary school teacher. Throughout her studies, she has gained invaluable knowledge about the diverse needs of students and how to teach them a wide range of skills. During her sophomore and junior years, Smith completed her placement hours at Growing with Grace, and this year, she furthered her experience by working at GGB Elementary School.

She said that her favorite aspects of the childcare program have been helping children, brightening their days with a smile and teaching them foundational skills like the ABCs and 123s. One of her most cherished memories was when the children brought in their Halloween costumes and paraded around the school, pretending to trick-or-treat. She also enjoyed Christmas because she made each of the students a gift.

Looking ahead, Smith plans to attend the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford to major in early childhood education. Her ultimate goal is to create an elementary classroom where she can make a lasting impact on her students’ lives.

Find more profiles in tomorrow’s Era.