The people of BB2C: Mike Elliott

Mike Elliott was working to bridge the gap between education and employment for students long before Building Bridges to Careers was founded. He did this as part of the Teen Career Awareness Initiative and as an administrator on the high school side of the Washington County Career Center, which is his current position. Prior to the Career Center, Mike gained years of experience as an administrator and teacher at Marietta City Schools. As BB2C has evolved, Mike has continued to be a supporter of the work....and somehow we convinced him to take a step further into the organization. 

In his own words...

I currently serve as a BB2C board member and have been nominated to serve as vice-president.  I am excited to participate as I have a genuine interest in seeing our county high school students successfully transition to the world of work.  There are approximately six million unfilled jobs in America and over 300,000 here in Ohio.  Numerous companies in our area and all around the state are searching for dependable, hard-working and drug free employees.  As an employee of the Washington County Career Center, these characteristics are items our staff emphasizes on a continual basis.  Personally, I enjoy seeing students find a career that gives them energy and excitement-something they enjoy doing, and then witness them going forward with a plan that will benefit them in the years to come.

The specific impact I have seen is helping our Career Center students prepare for our annual job fair and in getting our students to participate in Family Career Awareness Night. Additionally, the service Tonya Davis provides in helping students obtain job shadowing experiences is most beneficial.

In the future I hope BB2C continues to assist students in obtaining shadowing and mentoring experiences to help them gauge their interests for future careers.  Many businesses and companies in the Washington County area are looking for employees and I believe BB2C can play an important role in linking students with employment opportunities, which would allow students to find quality careers without leaving the Mid-Ohio Valley area, thus remaining closer to family and home.

Thank you, Mike!