Kent County High School students in the Apprenticeship Maryland program pose for a photo with some of the business owners providing the work experience opportunities. From left are Bill and Christina Schindler of Modern Stone Age Kitchen, Heather Bilbrough, Gavin Larrimore, Laila Johnson, Casey Hurd of Greenscapes Land Care, Maxwell Schofield, Ethan Clark and Jennifer Proudfoot and Eric Lemon of Dixon Valve.
ROCK HALL — This week, school systems throughout the country are highlighting the important opportunity apprenticeships provide those entering the workforce.
National Apprenticeship Week is Nov. 17-23. This year marks the 10th anniversary of National Apprenticeship week, celebrating a decade of “engagement, expansion and innovation.”
Kent County Public Schools partners with the state’s Apprenticeship Maryland program, pairing high schoolers here with local businesses.
Apprenticeship Maryland is one of the 11 CTE pathways offered to students at Kent County High School, along with other fields such as engineering, automotive technology, construction trades, heath occupations and more.
Tom Porter is Kent County Public Schools’ supervisor for accountability and Career and Technical Education (CTE).
“The growth of Kent County’s Apprenticeship Maryland program demonstrates our recognition of the instructional value of local businesses,” Porter said.
The Kent County Board of Education hosted a special ceremony last month for high schoolers who are signing on for an apprenticeship with a local business.
Porter and Kent County High School Career Counselor Brett King hosted the agreement signing ceremony at a board meeting Monday, Oct. 14.
“To enter the apprenticeship, students, employers, the school system and their parents must sign an apprenticeship agreement, which we are doing tonight,” Porter told board members at the meeting.
He said the moment, though, was about much more than signing an agreement.
“It's about opening doors to new opportunities and experiences that will shape these young people's futures,” Porter said.
Bill and Christina Schindler, owners of Modern Stone Age Kitchen in Chestertown, sign an apprenticeship agreement with Kent County High School student Laila Johnson and her father Tyrell Johnson at an Oct. 14 Board of Education meeting.
The current class of apprentices from Kent County High School includes:
• Maxwell Scholfield, manufacturing apprentice at Dixon Valve
• Laila Johnson, hospitality and restaurant management apprentice at Modern Stone Age Kitchen
• Heather Bilbrough, hospitality and restaurant management apprentice at Modern Stone Age Kitchen
• Gavin Larrimore, landscape management apprentice at Greenscapes Land Care
• Benjamin Philips, geriatric nursing aide apprentice at Brickwood Assisted Living
• Trevor Fuchs, farming apprentice at Owings and Sons Inc.
• Ethan Clark, manufacturing shop apprenticeship at Chesapeake CNC Manufacturing Center.
“I just want to thank all our apprenticeship partners because this is profound for kids,” said Dr. Mary Boswell-McComas, superintendent of Kent County Public Schools, at the board meeting.
Porter addressed the students on hand, reminding them that they were not just committing to a program, but to their own personal and professional growth.
“Each of you, through these apprenticeships, will apply what you've learned in the classroom to real world situations. You will develop essential skills. You will build connections that will last throughout your career,” Porter told the students. “You may have challenges, but with your determination and resilience, you each will thrive.”