Twenty-seven sign with area businesses at Signing Day
Published 10:00 am Wednesday, May 11, 2022
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Twenty-seven Troup County high school students are on a direct path to a future career thanks to the efforts of 14 community businesses.
These students signed papers for work-based learning opportunities with local businesses Tuesday at THINC Academy’s fifth annual THINC Expeditions Signing Day, an event that showcased the efforts of an internship-style program conducted through THINC Academy and the Troup County School System. Expeditions is a work-based learning program aimed at connecting students to careers in manufacturing, healthcare and business. In the beginning, Expeditions were originally only offered to THINC Academy students but has since expanded to all students in the Troup County School System. An estimated 87% of students in Expeditions stay in the job at least one year after high school.
Students are introduced to participating mechatronics, engineering and healthcare fields and can sign up to be an apprentice with the employers, learning about the careers offered.
“They’re learning valuable skills and building a very solid professional network moving forward,” Carrie Tomlin, workforce development manager for THINC CCA, said. “It lines them up for success following high school, and a lot of them stay on board [in LaGrange].”
This year, over 80 students applied to 40 available jobs. Altogether, over 350 applications were submitted.
Returning businesses included Kimble’s Food by Design, Mobis, KIA Georgia, THINC Marketing, THINC Healthcare, Troup County School System Health Services and Duracell. New participating employers included Chick-Fil-A, Great Wolf Lodge, Wellstar, the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce, Childress Dental Center, Hyundai Transys Powertrain and Weiler Forestry.
The following students were signed:
- Katie Barnes, a THINC student, signed on with Chick-Fil-A as a team member.
- Andreya Gilliam, a Troup High School senior, signed on with Great Wolf Lodge in its attractions department while Callaway High School/THINC students James Johnson, Caniya Poythress, Taliyah Stenson food and beverage department.
- Anja McCord, a Callaway High School/THINC student signed on as a catering assistant with Kimble’s Food by Design.
- Jayla Tigner, a Callaway High School student, signed on with the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce in a general internship role.
- Janae’ Johnson, a LaGrange High School/THINC student and Wesley Davidson, a Troup High School/THINC student, signed on as team members with THINC Marketing – Spark.
- Madison Staples, a LaGrange High School/THINC, student signed on as a dental assistant with Childress Dental Center.
- Alexis Miley, Troup High School/THINC, signed on as a healthcare lab technician with THINC Healthcare.
- Bianca Holliman-Graves, a LaGrange High School/THINC student, signed on with the Troup County School System health services to be a school nurse apprentice.
- Lauren Burgess, a LaGrange High School/THINC, Bethany Cullwell, a Troup High School/THINC student, Kyleigh Kurian a Troup High School/THINC student, Waylan McRae, a Callaway High School/THINC, Janiya Pitts a Troup High School/THINC student and Shelby Thompson Callaway High School/THINC, signed on with Wellstar as care partner assistants.
- Austin Cooley, a Callaway High School senior, signed with Duracell as a manufacturing apprentice.
- Jonah Miller, a THINC student, signed on with Hyundai Transys Powertrain’s manufacturing quality team.
