By Emma Loura/Manhattan Mercury
The Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce is making efforts in workforce development, and one initiative aims to reach kids early.
It’s called Classroom-to-Career Partnership.
“This was a program designed so kids can start thinking about careers at an early age, specifically in our region,” Allison Muth, the talent strategies manager for the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce, told Riley County commissioners on Thursday. “It’s pairing up fourth-grade classrooms with businesses.”
The initiative has three main events throughout the year. In the first two, businesses will introduce themselves and their services to a classroom and later visit again to speak about how to prepare for the jobs. The third event will be a field trip to one of these businesses, where students can see the work in action.
Muth said there is a $400 sponsorship for this program, and $100 of the money goes toward busing the children to the business they visit on the field trip. The other $300 goes toward funding classroom supplies.
Sign-ups are open for any businesses in the area that wish to participate. A kickoff event will take place in September to prepare the teachers.
In other business, the commission went into executive session to discuss “confidential legal advice regarding potential litigation issues.”
When the commissioners came out of the private session, they didn’t vote or discuss the matter in public.
The commission also approved the renewal of a health insurance contract for county employees.
The county will see an increase of 7.7% increase for medical coverage and 3.3% increase for dental to employer rates of premium costs.
The employer cost for employee-only health insurance premiums is going from $960 to $1,029 per month. The employee portion of the premium ranges from $50 to $82 depending on the plan selected.
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