Thirty former Surry-Yadkin Works interns now have jobs after signing commitments with local employers.
During the spring 2021 semester, Surry-Yadkin Works interns were employed by 17 local businesses and organizations. Of the 50 student interns, 46 plan to continue their education in their internship field.
Anahi Nunez, a recent graduate of the Surry Early College High School, earned a certification in Business Administration from Surry Community College. She has been hired by Altec to be an office assistant.
Three students were hired by Chatham Nursing & Rehabilitation to continue working as certified nursing assistants – Gabby Gomez, Starmount High School graduate; Emily Johnson, North Surry High School graduate; and Estefania Camacho, Surry Early College graduate, who also earned an Associate in Arts degree from Surry Community College.
Cainan Dollyhigh and Caleb Doss, both recent graduates of North Surry High School, are working at Johnson Granite. Dollyhigh is an AutoCAD operator, and Doss is a fabrication operator. Mackenzie Yoder, a recent graduate of North Surry High School, has been hired in shipping and logistics at Leonard.
Leslie Nguyen, a recent graduate of the Surry Early College High School, earned an Associate in Arts degree and Accounting & Finance certification from Surry Community College. She is employed at REF Properties doing office, accounting, and project management.
Azeneth Espinosa, a recent graduate of North Surry High School, is working as a certified nursing assistant at RidgeCrest. Preggy Prevette, a recent graduate of Surry Central High School, will continue working at The Shepherd’s House.
Carlos Salmeron, a recent graduate of Mount Airy High School, is working on the construction and yard crew at Smith-Rowe, LLC. Carter Jones, a recent graduate of Surry Central High School, will continue working in supply and storage at Surry Communications.
Victor Hall, a recent graduate of East Surry High School, is working as a custodian for Surry County Schools. He is also a HVAC Pre-Apprentice for Surry County Schools. Chris Parker, a recent graduate of North Surry High School, is employed as in project management at Vega Construction Company Inc.
Leshawn Phillips, a recent graduate of the Surry Early College High School, plans to continue his education at Surry Community College to earn an Information Technology degree. He is working for Workforce Unlimited.
Other Surry-Yadkin Works students have been successful at Northern Regional Hospital as Certified Nursing Assistants or a Patient Care Technicians.
The first youth apprentice program for registered nurses in North Carolina has culminated in 10 students committing to apprenticeships with Northern Regional Hospital. The apprentices are Carrie McKeaver and Ashley Sewell of Surry Central High School; Jenny Cortes and Natalie Evans of Mount Airy High School; Julie Marshall of East Surry High School; Katie Kellam of Elkin High School; Eryn O’Neal and Annsley Puckett of North Surry High School; Emily Orellana of Surry Early College High School; and Anna Serrano of Starmount High School. All the students recently graduated from high school, and Orellana also graduated from Surry Community College with an Associate in Arts.
This opportunity is part of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship program and the state’s ApprenticeshipNC program through the N.C. Community College System Office that combines a paid work-based learning experience with classroom academics leading to a national certification. These students will earn free tuition for the Associate Degree Nursing program at a North Carolina community college to become registered nurses.
Three other students also did a pre-apprenticeship at Northern Regional Hospital and will continue to work there as employees—Laney Cave, a recent graduate of Surry Central High School, Tynlee Jones, a recent graduate of East Surry High School, and Reagan Wooten, a recent graduate of Forbush High School. In addition, Morgan Dawson, a recent graduate of Surry Central High School and Raydan Hawks, a recent graduate of Mount Airy High School, will join the staff at Northern Regional Hospital as CNAs after successful completion of their internship at Chatham Nursing & Rehabilitation in Elkin.
Surry-Yadkin Works is the first community-based internship program of its kind in North Carolina covering a two-county region. This business and education initiative is the collaborative effort of four public school systems in Surry and Yadkin counties including Elkin City Schools, Mount Airy City Schools, Surry County Schools, and Yadkin County Schools, as well as Surry Community College, to create a unique approach to a regional internship program.
The funding is also a joint effort with commitments from the Surry County Commissioners and the Yadkin County Commissioners. An anonymous contributor donated $100,000 prompted by a presentation about the program at an educational summit. Surry-Yadkin Works officially began on Jan. 1.
For more information about the program, contact Crystal Folger-Hawks, Surry-Yadkin Works program director, at 336-401-7820 or folger-hawksc@surry.edu or visit www.surryyadkinworks.org. Follow Surry-Yadkin Works on Facebook and Instagram @surryyadkinworks and on Twitter @SurYadWorks.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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