TOANO — About 30 Lafayette High school students visited two manufacturing facilities on Friday as part of a program to introduce students to careers in the skilled trades.
Students in ninth to 12th grades visited Nicewood Enterprises Inc. and George Nice & Sons Inc. in Toano through a partnership with James City County’s Department of Economic Development and Williamsburg-James City County Schools.
The visits were two of many interest trips organized by the school division to open students’ view of what they may want to do after graduating high school, said career coach and program coordinator Sherri Thrift. Warhill and Jamestown high school students completed their field trips earlier this semester.
At Nicewood Enterprises, students were split in two groups so both could tour the Nicewood plant floor with plant operations manager Jacob Oberding and meet with human resources specialist Shiela Morris, who works for Nicewood’s parent company David Nice Builders.
Nicewood specializes in cabinetry and building out retail displays, such as those found at Barnes & Noble bookstores nationwide. Oberding showed students around the milling department, assembly area, sanding, painting and hardware stations, and the shipping and packaging department so they could see those jobs in progress from start-to-finish.
Lafayette High School freshman Olivia Miller said she was impressed by the job opportunities in millwork at Nicewood Enterprises. (Andi Petrini/The Virginia Gazette)
“I was impressed,” said freshman Olivia Miller. “There are so many more machines than I thought possible. There are so many jobs in wood making; there’s a lot of opportunity.”
Lafayette junior Liberty Grillo, who has an eye toward a career in graphic design, said she was intrigued by the hands-on jobs she saw at Nicewood.
“It was a more family-esque environment. There was more teamwork than I expected,” Grillo said. “It was good to see it and understand — this is certainly something to consider.”
David Nice Builders includes commercial projects, such as roller coasters at Busch Gardens, restaurants such as Oceans and Ale and municipal facilities such as the Williamsburg fire station, and a civil division that includes earthworks projects. Morris shared with the students types of jobs in that arena of the industry, such as mill work and using and driving heavy equipment.
Morris said Nicewood and Nice Builders offer entry-level jobs and cross-train employees throughout their careers. There is high demand for trade skills, Morris said, and employees have to be precise, arrive to work on time, and be able to meet deadlines.
“We look at character when we hire,” she said. “Skills you can teach.”
Oberding, who has been with Nicewood for 14 years, encouraged students to show dedication and teamwork because the industry is always looking for “solid hard workers.”
“The harder you work, the better it’ll pay off,” he said. “Not just here, but in any industry.”
Jamestown High School students visited Coresix Precision Glass Inc. earlier this semester. (Williamsburg-James City County Schools)
Thrift, who has been involved with the manufacturing and trades industry field trips since its inception 11 years ago, said the school division works with the county to help select different employers so each year’s trip is a little different.
Virginia Peninsula Community College apprenticeship coordinator Kimberly Phillips, who started in May, joined the students’ trip Friday as she looked at potential partnerships. County officials also were on hand for the tour.
WJCC students have multiple opportunities to explore career options in high school, Thrift said. There is a “Discover Law” day in partnership with the law school at William & Mary where students participate in a mock trial and attend a mock torts class. It hosts a Military Day at Fort Eustis, Thrift said, so students can see the various jobs, including the helicopter division, and meet a panel of military members.
The school division also partners with Sentara for a Health Careers Day, where about 60 students rotate through several areas to be exposed to jobs such as nursing, surgery and physical therapy before meeting health care professionals during a panel discussion.
The trips culminate with a mock interview event open to sophomores, juniors and seniors who get one-on-one interviews with more than 150 volunteers from the community. There also is a senior hiring event in May, Thrift said, that has helped students land jobs after graduation. Students also are required to take economics and personal finance classes that help them develop skills in resume and cover-letter writing, and learn professional etiquette tips.
“Students get that spark from a field trip,” Thrift said. “Students can explore these fields and see if they’re interested in it.”
Once exposed, she said, students can also register for additional classes in those fields or take trade skills classes at New Horizons such as welding or automotive.
“This trip also taught me about etiquette with coworkers, time management and responsibility to be on time, and wear the right clothes,” Miller said.
While Miller has an eye on engineering and STEM, she said she is keeping her options open.
“It definitely piqued my interest,” she said. “I like to build and be creative. These are things I know I can do.”
