Students say Y.E.S. to 'getting a leg up'

Parents and educators have a lot in common, most importantly preparing children for the future, for the time they are out on their own in the real world.

That real world will one day include a job, whether it's directly out of high school, enlistment in the military or after graduating from college.

Making sure those children can compete and thrive in business is the goal of an elective course at Tamaqua Area Senior High School, the "Your Employability Skills" program, otherwise known as Y.E.S.

Y.E.S is a program developed by the Manufacturer's Association and the Northeast Manufacturers and Employers Council, designed to help students develop skills for the workplaces of today and tomorrow.

The 120-hour long course, targeted to high school juniors and seniors, is an elective course.

Students who successfully complete the course will earn a certificate to add to their resumé, which many employers see as a "leg up on the competition" according to Tamaqua instructor John Mateluvich.

Mateluvich, accompanied by Tamaqua Area School District administrators and adult chaperones, took his 72 charges to Vonz Restaurant, 18 N. Railroad St. in Tamaqua, on Monday for a lesson in business dinner etiquette.

From the proper way to set a table to which utensils to use during a four-course meal, to the art of small talk, the students honed their etiquette skills over a leisurely meal in the historic Tamaqua Railroad Station.

Mateluvich credited the success of the program to Tamaqua administrators.

"In addition to providing students with a quality education, we're helping them become young ladies and gentlemen," he said.

"Despite lean budgets, our administrators realize the importance of preparing our young people for life beyond the school years.

Even with Tamaqua's dress code, wearing business attire has an impact on how the students act and react."

Tamaqua Senior High School Principal Stephen Toth, who was a Y.E.S. instructor before his tenure at Tamaqua, noted he is "familiar with the curriculum and the reinforcement it gives of good personal values and ethics.

"This program, as a whole, really gives students a perspective on how to be successful in business and life," said Toth.

The curriculum includes 36 modules in communication, personal development, teamwork, technology, health and safety and quality.

Students also tour local businesses and plants, providing "a pathway to a secure and rewarding future."