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HCS students participate in New Horizons Career Selection Day

The New Horizons Regional Education Centers’ (NHREC) BUILD Hampton Roads Career Selection Day, representing the six Greater Peninsula school divisions, was held on May 24, 2021, at Liberty Baptist Church in Hampton. Over 50+ students made their career selection and signed on with regional employers who have pledged to hire and retain the graduating high school seniors through the Good Life Solution Program.

Patterned after the NCAA’s National Signing Day for athletes who are committing to play sports in college, this event celebrates students entering into the automotive, construction, or advanced manufacturing workforce directly after high school. Through their specialized career and technical training at NHREC, these graduating seniors have the opportunity to gain full-time employment with Hampton Roads employers in high demand and high wage-earning entry-level positions earning on average between $18 to $28 per hour plus full employer benefits. This is why the program has been proudly coined as the “Good Life” Solution Program. Last year 30+ regional employers hired 52 students, and in the previous three years of the program’s existence, the one year following graduation retention rate for students that complete the Good Life Solution Program is 74%. The national average retention rate for individuals entering the workforce within all fields between the 18-24 age range is a disappointing 29.9%.

The group of signing students includes the following from Hampton City Schools:

First Name

Last Name

Field

School

Hiring Company

Kelly

Parker

Electricity

Hampton

JATC

Jovensky

Masson

Electricity

Kecoughtan

Colonial Webb

Elijah

Abercrumbie

HVAC

Hampton

NNS

Jared

Samuels

HVAC

Bethel

Walsh

Antonio

Tool

HVAC

Hampton

TST

John

Adams Jr.

Plumbing

Bethel

NNS

Antonio

San Inocencio

Plumbing

Hampton

Colonial Webb

Dylan

Hall

Welding

Kecoughtan

NNS A.S

Gabriel

Simon

Welding

Kecoughtan

Branscome

Casey M. Roberts, executive director for New Horizons Regional Education Centers, in touting the success of the program, spoke about the importance of employer buy-in and engagement with NHREC, “These incredible employer partners agree to join the BUILD Hampton Roads Good Life Solution Program on the principle that their organization would receive ready-to-learn entry-level graduates that are ready from day one. These regional employers believe that to remain relevant and competitive in today’s global economy, talent acquisition and retention are key to long-lasting success. Our regional partners believe that the BUILD Hampton Roads Good Life Solution Program is one of the best resources for their current and future talent needs. We can see the real results of our program, and we know the model works and will be expanding both the size of the pool and the number of employers going forward.”

According to Danny Barto, “Good Life” solution program manager, “Our organization has been working with employers across the country to improve their team’s business performance. The most successful companies do not fall victim to the ‘you just cannot find good people these days’ but recognize they have to do something different to attract and retain the right talent. The employers who accept they ‘own’ this critical challenge is winning and winning BIG. This is not the end, but the beginning for these employers who know it is not how many they hire but how many they keep as engaged, productive employees for many years to come.”

We congratulate these students as they begin the next chapter of their lives. Our Hampton graduates are certainly college-, career- and life-ready!