BEA Looking for new Volunteers

AUGUST 2008 - Each June, Business Education Alliance committee chairpersons and members of the Board of Directors come and go. This year co-chairperson, Robert Bechill of CSU Stanislaus Extended Education stepped down, making room for Dr. Hazel Hill of San Joaquin Delta College and 2006 ATHENA Award recipient. The BEA welcomes long-time supporter, Dr. Hill, as co-chairperson alongside Bill Harr of Hormel Foods. Together, we would like to make this upcoming school year the most successful for the BEA.

The BEA focuses on building a highly skilled and highly educated workforce for our future and the future of our community. To do this, we need to all come together as businesses and educators. If businesses have needs that are not being met, we need more than just to know what you need. We need volunteers to be guest speakers in classrooms, or facilitate tours of your business. The BEA is always in need of businesses to open their doors to interns. The internship program is a win-win resource, and should be used more by both students and businesses.

Now is as good a time as ever to get involved in the BEA! With the 2007-2008 school year approaching, there is not a better time to join the speaker’s bureau, offer a facility tour, or host an intern. Not only does volunteering help raise awareness among youth about your particular industry, its needs and requirements, but also increases visibility for your business or organization in the community and to hundreds of students. If you are not able to participate in any of these programs, there are other events and opportunities to help. The BEA coordinates career/job fairs and is involved in many of the advisory boards for local schools and specialized programs. You too can get involved, but the initial connection needs to be made.

The Business Education Alliance is not only a resource to educate our youth, but also a resource to educate the community. There are many adults and dislocated workers that need assistance obtaining the necessary and/or new skills to become employable that the BEA would like to reach out to them as well. If you thought the BEA only works with school-aged students, think again. The BEA is an extremely flexible program that wants to help improve the workforce in our local community.

If you have any questions about the program or want to get involved, contact Business Education Alliance Coordinator, Heather Asker at (209) 547.2770 or hasker@stocktonchamber.org. It’s never too late to get involved and help the BEA help the community. Attend a BEA meeting and come see how we can work together. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 29^th at 3:30 pm. Call or visit www.bea2003.com for the meeting location as the date draws closer.