
CELINA – Several dozen soon-to-be graduating seniors went through the first-ever Interview Boot Camp at Clay County High School (CCHS) recently to help prepare them for entering the work force.
The full-day event featured mock job interviews, resume work and classroom lectures for participating seniors. The event was a collaborative effort between the Clay County School System and the Clay County Workforce Development Committee.
The Boot Camp was held to better prepare students to enter the workforce and was also a lead-in to the Highlands Student Job Fair at the Leslie Town Centre on March 7. Clay County students have participated in the Highlands’ event the past several years.
School system officials and Workforce Development (WFD) volunteers presented on topics ranging from how to dress, resumes, employability skills, communication and leadership.
Each participating senior attended lectures, went through a seven- to 10-minute job interview, and had a resume by day’s end. Many of the students had prior class time to prepare their resume and then received help and suggestions from the WFD volunteers.
In addition to local school system workers and members of WFD, several area or state agencies helped at the Boot Camp. Among the other agencies or organizations participating were Livingston College of Applied Technology, Vol State Community College (Livingston), the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service, the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service, Tennessee Department of Labor and the Tennessee Board of Regents Pathways program.