Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for January 22, 2009 SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS

Economics lesson all too real in school-work program

By Rick Barrett of the Journal Sentinel

Math, science, English and a real-world lesson: the factory layoff.

A handful of high school students in a program that combines academics with work experience have been laid off from their factory jobs - leaving them without paychecks but giving them a firsthand look at the recession.

The program, called Second Chance, allows teens who are struggling in traditional high schools to take the remainder of their classes in a manufacturing plant where they spend two hours a day in classes and six hours working shoulder-to-shoulder with adults.

Second Chance, a private, nonprofit program, is funded by school districts, businesses and private contributions.

Educators have lauded the program as a success since 90% of its students have graduated from high school - an impressive figure given that its participants were previously far behind on their coursework and had little hope of graduation.

Second Chance has more than tripled its enrollment in the last few years and now has 46 students taking classes and working at Milwaukee-area manufacturing plants.

With the growth, however, has come the risk of layoffs as the industrial economy grinds along in low gear.

Three students were laid off recently from Frantz Machine Products in New Berlin after business slowed. Now they're back in the classroom at another manufacturing plant, continuing their studies and also talking about what it's like to be out of work in a miserable economy.

Two students were laid off at Western States Envelope, a manufacturer in Butler.

Seven students lost their jobs at Kelch, a division of Bemis Manufacturing, when its Menomonee Falls plant went through a downsizing in 2007.

"Financially it's a bummer, but you have to deal with it," said Thomas Sego, a senior in the Second Chance program at New Berlin Eisenhower High School.

Sego bought a 2007 Chevy Cobalt about a month before he was laid off from Frantz Machine. Now he's struggling to keep up with car payments and insurance premiums.

It's an important learning opportunity even if the students aren't laid off, said Stephanie Borowski, Second Chance executive director.

"They really gain empathy for adults who have lost their jobs," she said.

Frantz Machine and Western States Envelope have been strong supporters of Second Chance. As the economy slowed, the companies had to make difficult choices.

"We haven't had to lay off other employees yet, but it's real close," said Mike Heil, Frantz Machine plant manager.

"It's a tough time. We had to let any non-union employees go before anyone else was laid off," said Tom Bezoenik, plant manager at Western States Envelope.

The average wage for Second Chance students is $7.10 per hour. It's about half the cost of hiring a full-time adult employee since the students don't receive unemployment, pension or health insurance benefits.

The students are paid for a 40-hour week, including the classroom time that's spent on high school subjects such as English, math and social studies. It takes them about two years to complete the program, with much of the classroom instruction focused on real-world applications.

Dealing with a layoff is part of the instruction, including taking a hard look at personal finances when paychecks stop.

"In a sense, some students become a little drunk in spending with the kind of money they're earning," said Nick Pumilia, a Second Chance teacher in New Berlin.

"Because they were getting paid for 40 hours a week, they feel as if they can do things like buy a car," he said.

The students have learned that a lack of experience and training makes them vulnerable to job cuts, and they don't get special treatment in the workplace.

Keeping busy

There have been only a few layoffs, but Second Chance plans to keep students busy should employers pull back on the program.

Some of the students helped Habitat for Humanity build a house, for example, although it was volunteer work rather than paid employment.

In the classroom, students have discussed the Great Depression and how it compares with today's economic woes.

"We talk about why businesses do what they do, and why the bottom line matters," Borowski said.

Students said they're not discouraged about careers in manufacturing despite companies cutting thousands of jobs in tough times.

They could have promising job prospects in areas such as machining and industrial design as thousands of Wisconsin workers retire from those fields in the next decade.

"No one has said this is a bad career field to go into," said Garrett Crish, a Second Chance senior at Menomonee Falls High School.

The students have completed 21 months of work experience when they graduate from high school. In addition, they receive a certificate of occupational proficiency from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

"Even if there are fewer manufacturing jobs when these students graduate, they are far ahead of their peers" in competing for work, Borowski said.

Tailored Label Products in Menomonee Falls picked up Second Chance students who lost their jobs at the Kelch plant.

Tailored recently built a classroom where 14 students now attend school.

They bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the workplace, company President Mike Erwin said.

"You get some feisty, exuberant young kids who are excited about seeing the real business world. I would pay for Second Chance out of my own pocket if I had to," Erwin said.