Business View Magazine - July 2023

210 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 7 need to have an opportunity to explore careers and occupations that run the gamut. So, we’re very proud to have a very robust career engagement program here in Lebanon. We have approximately 40% of our seniors this year that are engaged in the community in some way, through internships, job shadowing, and opportunities such as that. Over 100 students are currently placed in everything from veterinary offices to law offices, to construction management firms, to sports management, public service, and city government. You can name an occupation, and we have students engaged in those opportunities. Selfishly, we want our students to return to Lebanon to raise their families. So, it’s exposing them to careers that are happening within our boundaries that maybe they knew existed but didn’t really put much thought into. It just opens doors for them to explore.” Looking to the future, Milleman emphasizes the importance of a rigorous academic curriculum that prepares students for career and post-secondary opportunities, connecting with institutions like Ivy Tech, Indiana’s junior college pipeline. He shares that a large electrical contractor in Indiana is taking steps to create opportunities for skilled workers by constructing an academy in Lebanon, where high school construction trades students can participate and graduate with apprentice-level skills. Through a partnership with Vincennes University, students can earn dual credits towards credentials or degrees. This enables them to pursue an associate degree, which increases their chances of entering the workforce or seamlessly transitioning to bachelor’s degree programs at Indiana’s top universities. These initiatives bridge the gap between high school and successful careers, either through immediate employment or further education. He concludes, “Our original charge as a K-12 institution is to equip our students with the academic knowledge and skills to be agile. I think probably what’s on the horizon for us is to continue to leverage the coursework that we have at a higher level, and to be able to connect with institutions a little bit more comprehensively, offering multiple associate degrees to our students so that when they walk across the stage in May, they are not only receiving their high school diploma, but they’ve already achieved an associate degree level.” PREFERRED VENDOR/PARTNER n Gibraltar Design www.gibraltardesign.com Gibraltar Design is a full service architectural/ engineering/interior design firm with complete focus on educational facilities. Our unique client-focused approach revolves around constant communication and collaboration with clients. We design spaces where students and teachers have the best opportunities for current and future trends of teaching, learning, and achievement.