NH Students, Educators, Industry Leaders Named Work-Based Learning Champions

CONCORD – A high school student who helped construct his family’s new home. An information technology company that has been placing interns in employment positions for years. Teachers, educators, and counselors working together, with businesses, to get students access to learning opportunities outside of the classroom. And two elected officials who have been long-time supporters of students involved in career and technical education.

What do they all have in common? They were some of the 21 New Hampshire residents who received Work-Based Learning Awards at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord on Sept. 25, 2018.

Gov. Chris Sununu, New Hampshire Department of Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut, Jeremy Hitchcock of the Community College System of NH’s Board of Trustees, and Peter McNamara, the president of the New Hampshire Automotive Dealers Association, all spoke about the importance of work-based learning and congratulated the winners. The awards capped off the second phase of a National Governors Association Center for Best Practices initiative to scale and market work-based learning opportunities to the general public in six states, including New Hampshire.

“New Hampshire is at the forefront of bringing stakeholders together to match future opportunities with the workforce needs of employers,” Sununu said. “These work-based learning champions – educators, advisors, and industry leaders – are getting the job done for our students.”

Edelblut agreed.

“Today we saw how stakeholders from the education and business sectors, from all across the state, are working together to ensure opportunities for our students,” he said.

Officials have been working to promote and expand work-based learning, extended learning, and apprenticeship opportunities for students in both high school and college in the Granite State. Educators are creating templates and rubrics that will be available to districts to develop and implement effective programs for students.

Winners were nominated by dedicated members and mentors involved in work-based learning, extended learning opportunities, and apprenticeships around the state. Next year, the team will name its “overall champion” award in honor of John Olson of Whelen Engineering in Charlestown. Olson has engaged students in advanced manufacturing for many years until his death at the age of 83 in August.

• Winners and why they were Nominated for the Awards from the Event’s Program

Student Champions

• Ian Crawn, Concord High School
• Peter McCosker, Hinsdale High School
• Carmela Souza, Salem High School
• Ryan Thomas, Manchester Community College

Advisor/Coordinator Champions

• Mike Curtis, director of the Future’s Program at White Mountain High School in Whitefield
• Ken Martin, a CTE manufacturing technology teacher and ELO coordinator at Laconia High School
• Rich Paiva, director of technical studies at Milford High School

Teacher/Faculty Champions

• Jayne Barnes, a professor and department chair at Nashua Community College
• Scott Pope, CTE machine tool and engineering teacher at Sugar River Valley CTE Center in Claremont
• Kerrie Alley Violette, an ELO teacher at Sanborn Regional High School in Kingston

Industry Partner Champions

• Mike Alberts, director of organizational development and New England Electric Wire Inc. in Lisbon
• Tom Ives, the owner of New Hampshire Bindery in Bow
• Tim Jordan, a service manager at AutoFair Ford in Manchester
• Vic Kissell, senior manufacturing supervisor, and Maxcess International in Keene
• Eileen Keefe, chief nursing officer, and Parkland Medical Center in Derry.
• Kurt Simione, owner of Technology Seed Inc. in Salem.

Overall Champions

• Barbara Couch, co-founder, and Hypertherm in Lebanon
• Jessica Dade, the assistant executive director of education foundation and career coordinator and the New Hampshire Automotive Dealers Association.
• Anne Fowler, the director of student services at Pelham High School.
• State Sen. David Watters, D-Dover
• State Rep. Rick Ladd, R-Haverhill