Obviously, they're going there, they keep them in co-op. The whole the whole hope is that they once they graduate, they still working for the company or they can grow in the company and we can go back and say, "Okay, you know, 80% of the student that found co-op jobs are still working and growing in the field." Um, I'm I'm in the field. Um, I graduated from this school and but not to flatter myself, but not every school student was in the same mindset that I have. I mean, I knew [clears throat] what I wanted. I have multiple salons, but I'm in I'm a hair stylist and and >> hiring for co-op? Well, the thing is I'm very I'm I'm very I'm very tough. I I need to know that the student, the person who I'm going to pay for. This is my question what I'm going to try trying to drive you to is that what I I'm in the field, I know what the kids need to know and I am not willing to pay to teach a person until I know that they're capable of.
Hearing none, Madam Chair, recommendations adopted. >> Okay, thank you, folks, and we did it. Okay. All right. This concludes the Committee on Transportation agenda for Tuesday.
So, if you bring me a student and I see that they're really good and I want to keep him, trust me, I'm going to I'm going to say I want to keep the students. I I can already see them keeping them in my in my business, but I don't want to come in and pay a student for two, three, four weeks and say, "You know, uh send me another student." And then uh send me another student and that other student is still not matching my my expectation and now I have eight weeks of payroll paying two students that haven't really complied. So, my question is, have you thought about to be able to get more kids out there a possibility of a certain amount of weeks where they can go experiment the field and the the the the employment which it would be and now and say, "I can see this kid has potential.
I can see, you know, maybe we'll get more kids out there." And at least the flow back, you know, you get so many cuz trust me, I mean, as a company, I don't want to get I don't want to change staff. I want them to be able to keep staff because customers know that they're doing the right job. So, my question is trying to bring you to open up the possibility of sending kids to meet the employment and see the employment and the kids have mu- mutual um interest and say, "I want to keep this kid before somebody else gets it." or I don't see this kids really meets my expectations. So, now I get to have somebody, but now I'm already four weeks of pay. Right. And and I have no return. So, just giving you some feedback and from my from a business perspective.
No, that's great. >> you know, I'd I'd be more than happy to, you know, sit down later on and kind of But just to add to your point, too. So, we a few of our shops here do field placement or clinical. And this allows for employers to work with the students on internship level um without being compensated for their services. And with that being said, it allows them to see if it's a right fit not only for the student, but for the employer as well. And this is how students are offered um the opportunities in addition to being recommended recommended by their shop teachers um or they're finding jobs on their own or I'm making the connections in the community as well. So, therefore, um we have a few shops that do already have that like a trial basis. Um and it gives them that experience to see if it is a right fit.
All right. Well, I'll I'll let the rest of the the committee, but please feel free to cont- um Yeah, that would be great. >> feedback cuz I have a lot of um people on the field. I'm part of a networking that I would love to help other students get there, but again, I I I'm I already know the question cuz I'm I'm already placing the question that I all these people kind of ask me. How how about the kid is not good and now you already pay, you know, but anyway, that's we'll follow up in a different um setting. Thank you. Thank you for answering the question. Of course. Do you have a chance to go to the companies and and meet with the the boss or and check in with the kids and do you see what's going on? Yes, before they're hired or after?
>> when when they're on the task. Yes, I do. I also check up on students as well as doing the site visits. Um so, that is due um annually. So, as I'm going through each site visit and making sure that they have an annual visit up to date. Um I also check in with their students as well. Um and when they are here for academics, I can check in with them, too, during their win block and see how they're doing. And where [clears throat] as far as distance are they from here? As far as the in Boston, are they We have some students who are placed from New Hampshire all the way down to the um south of Boston. Okay. Mhm. And um another question. No, I didn't forget. I'll I'll think about it. >> [clears throat] >> Yeah, um in reference to the internship, I don't know how it works, but um if you hire it well, if you try to get a student to try them out, um unless you're paying them, there's no way for you to cover them under workers' comp.
So, that's not going to cover a lot of the students that are looking for work. >> Well, when they're interning, we have contracts put in place for that and the workers' comp is also part of it. Okay. So, workers' comp through the school? Be also have for the employer as well. It's shared information. All right. Well, it's I know on my end of it, it's usually payroll based is how they do the coverage. Right. But also for co-op, though, it's out of district. They can be out of district. So, it would be hard to get the student there um without their own transportation if they intern as a co-op job. And also with the co-op expectations, they are compensated for their time. Mhm. All right. Um do you ever get much feedback on the work week being a Wednesday to a Tuesday instead of Monday to Monday?
Yes, I do. Is it negative? It's not not Oh, no, not at all. Um a lot of employers have positive feedback to give about that um especially in multiple industries um culinary and cosmo and medical where the demand is. Um and I think a lot of industries are increasing their hours as well as their services. So, there is um a need for our students to meet the demand of the industry as well. Um and once we do explain why we're doing this the Wednesday through Tuesday, they say, "Oh, wow, that's great. Students are able to get academics and co-op time or shop time as well." All right. I'd say for for my field, the construction field, some of us find it a lot more difficult cuz you get a student, we'll say on a Monday, Mhm. you start off and they all need some guidance to get along and get started and then working on getting used to it and all right, they're they're learning Tuesday, they're getting a little bit better.
And then you're on this Wednesday, they're you just lost them. So, now you start all over teaching the next kid Monday, you know, Wednesday, Thursday. So, for my field, it's it's not a consistently well. Well, we start on a Wednesday. So, you would start on Wednesday, it would be like your Monday, right? Right, but >> And then um well, but the unique part of co-op is that you're job sharing. So, we have one job where two students will share it. So, they're constantly there for the coverage from Wednesday to Wednesday and rotating through there. Yeah, I've had like 60 kids over the years. I know I know the deal. Now, if a if an employer contacts you from the time he contacts you to getting the student working for him, what's the time frame? The expected time frame. Um depends. We can meet tomorrow and do everything or they receive the information, they go through the packet and they discuss it with their team or their board depending on what their finances are like.
Um and then by the time I get to the site visit, the turnaround time for the background check, it varies time to time. So, about two weeks? Give or take, yeah. Okay. Thank you. You're welcome. Oh, boy. Just one, right? >> [laughter] >> I hope so. Um so, in terms of I think most of my questions have already been answered or been asked. Um but in terms of um shop areas that aren't listed here, um we do have a little bit over 20 programs as of now. Um out of those 20 programs, um are there any departments that have yet to have co-op opportunities or there might be like need for growth in certain areas. Like I I I see the certain areas here, um but not sure if there are others that like might not even have placements right now. Mhm. No, every [clears throat] shop has at least one student out if not more.
Okay. And so, related to like the opportunities for growth, um so, I see here that like dental assisting, health assisting, automotive tech have had negative changes in terms of uh the previous school year and to this year. Um is that due to losing employers or is that just like student interest? Like what are the What are the typical factors for that? It's an overall combination. Um so, dental has increased now that we have juniors out in the field as well. Um their field placements that they were interning at did assist with this placement. Um some students did find jobs on their own as well. Um automotive is getting juniors out right now. So, they've had a a little bit of an increase. Um health assisting has struggled with the um co-op sites that we've had in the past, financial restraints. And unfortunately, that's put a a damper on it for some students.
But we've been able to pivot and they've gone to um daycare centers. They um increased their um interest in ophthalmology centers. So, we have a couple of options that we are thinking outside the box. Mhm. And so, for for kids that are interested in co-op and um like you said, like there's been alternatives like daycare centers and other centers where um kids are being sent to, um there's always going to be more interest in like students wanting to co-op than there is um availability for employers. Um so, how do you sort of balance that or is it sort of like you're actively working to recruit employers and also assign students? Like what is Like what has been your what has been the process for that? Um because there's just so many departments and you know, there's like 20 kids, but then there's like three employers and they only take certain amount of kids.
So, yeah. We've been very fortunate enough to have a lot of employers take more than one or two. Um some places have four or some places have six. Um and then the constant need to fill their their gaps with the employment um has we've been pretty lucky with that also. Um but as far as the process goes, um you know, reaching out and making the connections and then the connections lead to additional connections and that's how we've been able to place so many students um in the industry. So, it's been really great. Okay. Um I think that's all I have for now. I think the co-ops has they've definitely improved. Um this was a conversation that we had not too too long ago about uh co-op placements. And so, we're on on my behalf, I appreciate you coming to present this and give us an update and I hope that um that we continue seeing a growth in employers and that there's opportunities that I as well on on our end to support that process um as much as we can.
Um so, thank you. Thank you. Yeah, I'd just like to echo the vice chair's comments. I think you've done a an extraordinary job. Thank you. And I I think that you totally have a great strong handle on the whole the whole co-op program. Thank you. And that's coming from experience. So, that's that is you should take that as a real compliment. I do have one question, though. >> Okay. What are the requirements cuz I know they've probably changed. What are the requirements for a student wanting to go on co-op? The requirements Or are there any at this point? Yes, so students have to have um consent from the guidance department, um the school nurse department or the nursing department, excuse me. Um administrative assistant in the discipline office, the safe office, as well as attendance. Okay. Any particular grade average or anything? Uh what what is the minimum there?
Or is it a state one? There is no set grade point average. All right, so they clearly they can't be failing in the shop area, right? >> Correct. So, therefore, their guidance counselor will can look at their academic record and um make decision from that point and recommendation from their shop teacher as well. Okay. So, Okay. Is there any um you know, attendance matters in in a in a job setting, right? So, if Yeah, chronic. Although they might want to go to work more than they come here, so I don't you know, Right. No, it is we do value that as well um with their professionalism, employability. Um if there's too many absences, then we have to re-evaluate and think about the student's placement and how it could impact additional absences or not. >> so there so okay. So, Yeah, we do take a lot of that.
content with that. There is some oversight. They just don't get cart blanche there. They're out until they mess up and and okay. >> No. You're welcome. Do you meet with the students before they go out on the job? Yes, I do. Mhm. So, when um they come to my office, they'll obtain their student application packet and we discuss all of the requirements that are needed for that. We'll discuss their transportation. Um we'll discuss what they have to do as well as um they're communicating with the employer or their future supervisor. Mhm. I mean, it's fantastic that you can get juniors out. Um when does that start? Beginning of March? When do you start sending juniors out? Oh, juniors are already out. >> No, no, I understand, but They were eligible as of the start of Q3, which was January 21st. Mhm. Very good. Yeah, um so as far as the some of the shops require a certain amount of hours like cosmetology.
Do you need the the student need to be already licensed or they need to be over a certain amount of hours before they come into a you know, and like uh licensed like electricians or or like a cosmetology. Do do they need to be licensed before they come out or they come out while they have whatever 900 hours or whatever? Yes, so they have to have the 1,000 hours to be eligible for a co-op. Um as far as taking their um exam, that can um be in working towards or progress being made towards, um but that does not have to be um done before going on co-op. Mhm. As far as other shops, there are certifications that are required, um particularly like for first aid or CPR. Um OSHA certification is huge for our safety component. Um we take we value all that I'm going out and there's a questionnaire that students will fill out regarding all of their requirements and if their shop teacher um could also vouch for that.
And what when are the goals as far as um cosmetology and I continue ask that because it's my field. As far as cosmetology um when are the goals for the student to be able to have their 1,000 hours? But do you know you have a like a deadline not a deadline, but like a goal line by you know, junior the end of junior the beginning of the senior year. Like when do you expect them to have those those 1,000 hours? By the start of senior year, I would say. So, it varies for every student. Cuz they they miss correct. Uh so, uh several years ago based on data of the co-op placements and also how many students were coming out with the 1,000 hours to take their their exam. Um we found that there were some barriers with the like when students could begin to accrue their hours specifically in cosmetology.
So, um we collect we so the superintendent um worked with us to institute a summer program. So, um two weeks during the summer uh our cosmetology teachers come back in and they um run an extended cosmetology program. Um and so the students come in on the summer school bus. Um they have access to all of our summer school programs, but they continue to um accrue the hours under the tutelage of their teachers. Um and that has catapulted uh how many students are eligible. And so, um because our target is to support all of our students being eligible for co-op um as soon as possible, the quarter three designation would be ideal. Um but all of our students are targeted to get uh their 1,000 hours by the beginning of their senior year. Thank you. Thanks. My turn. Okay. Audra, what's the biggest challenge you have getting our kids out?