HCS students participate in New Horizons Career Selection Day

The New Horizons Regional Education Centers’ (NHREC) BUILD Hampton Roads Good Life Solution (GLS) Career Selection Day, representing the six Greater Peninsula school divisions, was held on May 12, 2022, at Liberty Live Church in Hampton. Seventy-four seniors made their career selection and signed on with 23 regional employers who have pledged to hire and retain the graduating high school seniors through the GLS Program. 

Patterned after the NCAA’s National Signing Day for athletes who are committing to play sports in college, this event celebrates students entering into the automotive, construction, advanced manufacturing, or technology/cybersecurity workforce directly after high school. Through their specialized career and technical training at NHREC, these graduating seniors have the opportunity to gain full-time employment with Hampton Roads employers in high- demand, high-wage, entry-level positions earning on average between $14 to $23 per hour plus full employer benefits. This is why the program has been proudly coined as the “Good Life” Solution Program. Last year 15 regional employers hired 51 students, and in the previous four years of the program’s existence, the one year following graduation retention rate for students that complete the Good Life Solution Program is 81%. This is quite a high percentage when compared to the national average retention rate of 29.9% for individuals entering the workforce within all fields between the ages of 18-24. 

Casey M. Roberts, NHREC executive director, in touting the success of the program, spoke about the importance of employer buy-in, regional collaboration, and engagement:

“These incredible employer partners agree to join the BUILD Hampton Roads Good Life Solution Program on the principle that their organization would receive ready-to-learn, entry-level graduates that are ready on day one. Employers believe that to remain relevant and competitive in today’s global economy, talent acquisition and ultimately talent retention are key to long-lasting success. Our regional partners believe that the BUILD Hampton Roads GLS Program is one of the best resources for their current and future talent needs. We can see the real results of our program, and we know the model works. To date, the BUILD Hampton Roads GLS Program has successfully transitioned over 200 graduates into high-demand and high-wage-earning entry-level trade careers across the Hampton Roads region.”

 

Click here to view photos of HCS students who participated in the event.

The group of signing students includes the following from Hampton City Schools:

We congratulate these students as they begin the next chapter of their lives. Our Hampton graduates are certainly college-, career- and life-ready!