Industry Partner Celebration connects school district, local businesses

CENTER LINE — With Center Line Public Schools offering courses in which students explore career possibilities at every grade level, district officials have partnered with local businesses.

Throughout the year, the owners and employees of the businesses work with the school district to be guest speakers, participate in career fairs, provide internships, offer industry tours, job shadow and more.

On the morning of June 6, those business partners attended an “Industry Partner Celebration” breakfast inside the Center Line High School media center as a way for the school district to acknowledge their impact on the students.

Guest speakers included Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, district Superintendent Joseph Haynes, district Assistant Superintendent Lisa Oleski and Vicky Rowinski, Macomb County Planning and Economic Development director.

“The diploma at graduation isn’t the end point; it is just the beginning,” Oleski said. “Here in Center Line, we truly believe that every student (finds) their path, they experience life here and begin to develop an understanding of what their strengths are and what they would like to do in the future. It is our goal that 100% of our students graduate with postsecondary credits and/or industry-recognized certifications.”

Each grade level has a focus on a specific career pathway. It began in 2016 with the opening of the Academies of Center Line for 10th, 11th and 12th grade students. There are two of them: the Academy of Industry, Technology and Innovation, and the Academy of Health and Human Services. There also is a freshman academy designed to provide a transitional environment from middle school to high school. Elementary and middle school students also are being introduced to career possibilities.

“It was always our goal that this was a K-12 journey,” Oleski said. “We can begin in kindergarten and first grade and second grade, giving them opportunities to discover, explore and experience.”

Four Center Line High School student ambassadors spoke at the breakfast, including ninth grader Galiana Yang who enrolled in the ITI academy; junior Jahvier Ross, also in ITI; and juniors and HHS academy students Lauren Valencia and Noila Boshnjaku.

The four ITI pathways are engineering technology; innovative art and design; business, commerce and entrepreneurship; and digital design and communication. The four HHS pathways are health and wellness; first responders; law and justice; and public service.

“In our classes you have a chance to earn college credit and industry-recognized certification. Our career tech classes also give us a chance to become certified,” Valencia said. “The possibilities are endless making it possible to walk out of high school right into the workforce.”

Yang described her experience in the freshmen academy.

“In the academy, we get to learn about the high school and the academies we will go to at the start of our sophomore year,” Yang said, adding the ninth graders fill out a graduate profile to help them academically. “The skills we use are collaboration, communication, critical thinking and leadership.”

Businesses interested in partnering with Center Line Public Schools can contact Superintendent Joseph Haynes at (586) 510-2001 or district Assistant Superintendent Lisa Oleski at (586) 510-2002.   

“It’s always wonderful to hear from students because they are the reason we are here,” Oleski said. “It inspires me every day in the work that we do. I hope you sensed the appreciation as well and the leadership and communication skills that they’re building every day because of your partnership and our community working together.”