Steps DeSoto Schools offer to prepare students for their life’s work was the subject of the guest speaker at the March meeting of the DeSoto Parish Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday. Guest speaker was Josh Dahlem, the College and Career Readiness Supervisor with the school system.
Dahlem said they want to ensure that all students upon graduation are ready to be:
Hired,
Enlisted,
Registered in Post-Secondary education, or
Become Entrepreneurs.
Dahlem explained the different pathways to employment or higher education offered by DeSoto Schools. He said, “Thirty-seven percent of seniors and a high percentage of Juniors are on a pathway that leads to work. A high percentage of our graduates have a certificate that they can take to the workplace.” And Dahlem added, “Thirty-eight percent of students earn at least one IBC or advanced course.” He noted that DeSoto students are provided a curriculum that they would pay $6,000 elsewhere but they get it for free.
They are offering a summer intern program. Dahlem said they are taking applications now from students who want to work for the school system this summer. The summer job program pays the student $10 per hour.
He also outlined their partnerships with local businesses to put students to work. Dahlem said the school system pays the student’s salary up to 20 hours a week and the business gets them to work at no cost to them.
Dahlem told the chamber members of several other programs that DeSoto Schools offer to students to prepare them for joining the work force upon graduation. He said they offer a lot more than the traditional path of preparing students to go on to college.
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