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October 21, 2008

CACC students training in real world

By Tiffany Green

STAFF WRITER

The work technology program at the Cullman Area Career Center is taking a new approach to teaching their students. The program provides special needs students with the opportunity to develop interpersonal skills and work related skills by hands on participation at a local work site. The instructors supervise the students as they learn and perform a variety of general labor jobs alongside the company employees.

The instructor, Denise Feldner says not all of her students learn by the book.

“These students prefer to be out doing something rather than in the books,” Feldner said.

The program is currently doing work at Ryan’s and Big Lots.

“Ryan’s has been great working with us,” Feldner said. “Culinary arts is just one aspect of the program.”

Brian Long, general manager of Ryan’s said, “All these kids need a little push in the right direction and need to understand what’s expected of them. It can be tough. We just want to teach them responsibility.”

Feldner explained that the opportunity gets the kids excited about working.

“The kids are eager to come and work,” she said. “My students need someone to give them a chance to work so that they can learn to work.”

The program gives the students better experience when transitioning from school to the work force.

“They need to feel successful about what they are doing and see that they too can be productive citizens in their community,” Feldner said.

Long said his employees like interacting with the students.

“The employees take the students under their wing and they do their best to help.”

The program is a new approach to an ongoing problem of preparing students for the world of work, said Feldner. The schools have to follow the No Child Left Behind guidelines, but small populations of students who do struggle can get left behind she explained. These students do not fit into a regular academic environment.

At Ryan’s, students perform a variety of tasks including basic cleaning, to serving customers and helping out the kitchen staff.

“The kids are willing to do whatever we ask of them and they are very respectful,” Long said.

Feldner said that the past few months have been a wonderful learning experience for both students and the employees.

“The interaction between my students and the employees has given me great insight to the acceptance of young people in the work place,” Feldner said. “I will be able to take what I have observed back to the classroom to better prepare my students for work.”

For more information or if any business is interested in helping with the program, contact Denise Feldner at the Cullman Area Career Center at 734-7740.



‰ Tiffany Green can be reached by e-mail at tgreen@cullmantimes.com or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 221.

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