Photo Provided Buckeye Local High School junior Anna White speaks with a career coach online to help determine her life path in a collaboration between the school and Future Plans, The G.R.I.T. Project.

CONNORVILLE — Buckeye Local High School students are charting their career path in a new collaboration with Future Plans — The G.R.I.T. Project.

The G.R.I.T. Project, which stands for Growing Rural Independence Together, is a grassroots economic recovery initiative in Appalachian Ohio which aims to boost economic growth through education, training, and tools to unemployed or underemployed individuals. The project includes various initiatives such as career education programs, job shadowing, and industry field trips to connect participants’ strengths to real opportunities. It recently teamed up with BLHS and about 160 juniors and seniors completed assessments targeting their employability skills, then the pupils spent three days from Dec. 8-10 conducting online sessions with job coaches to determine their plans, be they going to college, a trade school, the military or into the workforce.

Chris Kiedaisch, career-based intervention teacher at BLHS, said the partnership began this year and gives the students a sense of what direction they may want to take in life.

“Juniors and seniors took a 14-part career test. It’s like an aptitude test and it gives them career options,” Kiedaisch explained. “When they finish that, it tells them what areas are compatible and they select three choices. Each student then gets a one-hour, one-on-one session with a career coach to go through the choices and help them do the next steps.”

If a student chooses to attend college, the career coach would assist with issues such as filing for FAFSA financial aid and making applications to universities or colleges of their choice.

Should the pupil opt for a trade, the coach will provide information on various unions where they may obtain apprenticeships and jobs. If the student remains undecided, the coach will help review their test results and discuss matters further.

“They make sure the kids have the ability to make good decisions,” he added. “They do a good job of making it individualized for each student. This is our first year of working with The G.R.I.T. Project and we hope every student will go through the process by their senior year so they can achieve success.”

Kaidasch has also helped students obtain pre-apprenticeships to locations such as Wheeling Hospital so they gain experience and decide whether they want to continue in that career path. He added that being involved with Future Plans-The G.R.I.T. Project was another means to help them reach their goals.

Leigh Ann Smith, community outreach partner for the organization, said Future Plans works under The G.R.I.T. Project and is now in its seventh year. The organization collaborates with schools in 32 Appalachian counties, including Jefferson and Columbiana, and will assess and coach roughly 10,000 students this year.

“We’re a workforce development non-profit agency and our cornerstone is career access and one-hour career coaching sessions. We have a five-step approach to help students start their career path,” she said. “We look at the abilities and interests and match them with in-demand fields with a living wage.”

Smith added that the agency typically starts with sophomores and helps with decisions on curriculum, College Credit Plus and career-tech, and pre-apprenticeships or working in high school so they may make more informed choices on going to college, trade school, work or into the military.

“We have assisted nearly 35,000 students since we began,” Smith noted. “We have over 40 certified career coaches in Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky who meet with students on Google Meet and Zoom.”

A summer program is also available in which students have opportunities to gain industry-recognized credentials at participating colleges. Pupils spend three weeks training in a course of study and earn certification that also equates to 12 points toward graduation. Programs have been held at Belmont College, Hocking College, Shawnee State University, and more with certifications ranging from HVAC and heavy equipment operation to pharmacy technician and educational paraprofessionals. The programs are free to the student but they must provide their own transportation; however, the agency has offered gas cards to defray fuel expenses. Additionally, Future Plans is an umbrella agency which also aids adults seeking job assistance.