The adage about “walking a mile in someone’s shoes” has taken on new application as one of the individuals who puts high schoolers to work in local businesses is herself spending time in one of those jobs.

Heather Edwards, the youth apprenticeship coordinator at Colquitt County High School, has been involved in the cooperative project of the Georgia Department of Education and the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development.

The title of this project is “Teachers in Industry,” according to a press release Edwards forwarded. The idea behind the project is for teachers to have on-site experience at locations where students might be placed for work-based learning experiences.  Colquitt County High School offers a Work-Based Learning program to all students who meet the state mandated criteria.

Edwards, Gail Thompson and Gene Hart make up the Work Based Learning (WBL) Program at CCHS. The program averages around 75 students who work in various local businesses.

Through the “Teachers in Industry” program, organizers are hoping to create more support structure and partnerships with local business and the local teacher, the press release said.

Edwards has been working at the office of Moultrie dentist Dr. Jeffery Barnett, helping the office staff with jobs that an office would give to a high school student working there.

“Many businesses feel that they ‘don’t have anything for a ‘teenager’ to do’ around their business,” the press release said, “but once you hire a young person, you are amazed at how much of an asset they can be.”

Edwards said,  “We have had many businesses go on to hire their high school employee for full time employment after the student graduates.”

Of course, the state mandates that the student be on track to graduate with good behavior, attendance, and grades, the press release said. The WBL coordinators check all the criteria of each student who applies for WBL before they accept them into the program. Also, recent changes allow students to be placed as unpaid interns at local businesses as well.

“We are excited about this and feel like it will open up more opportunities for businesses to work with our students,” Edwards said. “Also, it will allow the students to gain experience in areas that they are interested in pursuing a career in upon graduation.”

All students choose a pathway to complete in high school. The Youth Apprenticeship Program is specifically for those students whose pathway, job placement and career goal line up accordingly. For example, a Youth Apprenticeship student with a pathway of Early Childhood, working at the local YMCA’s Primetime program, with the career goal of one day being a teacher all line up and would qualify that student as a Youth Apprenticeship student.

“We are lucky here in Moultrie to have great businesses that hire our CCHS students as their employees,” Edwards said.

The students, depending on their academic schedule, can leave school either one, two or even three hours early to be able to have more time in the work force.