Training for real life

EHOVE Career Center offers quite an array of training choices for its students. EHOVE Junior Liz Nesser of Danbury High School agrees. She's already out working in the real world as part of her education. Nesser is a Retail Careers student. Her on-the-job training at Dollar Island in the Sandusky Mall is the first step to her future.

Nesser is the treasurer of EHOVE DECA, an association for students with a career interest in marketing, management, hospitality, finance, entrepreneurship, and/or business administration. She's using her EHOVE education and training experience to put together her latest project, a manual to take to DECA State competition.

The roughly 30 page manual is a written project on marketing operations of Dollar Island. "There's a lot to cover, like the business' history, structure, chain of distribution, target market and marketing plan," said Michelle Guerra, owner of Dollar Island. Guerra also says that Nesser has done very well learning these concepts, compiling her manual and working at the store.

"She's developed leadership skills and self-confidence, and really wants to be at school every day," said Penny Adelman, EHOVE Retail Careers instructor and DECA advisor, who teaches the program and monitors the students at their training sites.

Nesser says she now really enjoys school and hopes to take business and marketing courses in college. "I like the program a lot. I get to experience a lot of different things. I'll have a big head start in the working world when I graduate from EHOVE."

Stores in the Sandusky Mall and The Crossings have partnered with EHOVE for several years by allowing students to train about two hours a day in their facilities. "This real world experience is very valuable to the students," said Adelman.

Students' responsibilities include customer service, inventory, stockroom work and other hands-on activities. Sandusky Mall stores this year are Sears, Elder-Beerman, Deb's, rue 21, Payless Shoes and Dollar Island. Stores at The Crossings are Maurice's, Fashion Bug, Dollar Tree and Sam's Club. Additionally, Kalahari Resort, Perkins Restaurant and The Community at Parkvue are also active partners.