CHARLOTTESVILLE — Eastern Hancock Superintendent George Philhower was one of two educators in Indiana who recently traveled to Zurich, Switzerland as part of a statewide coalition designed to build and grow youth apprenticeship opportunities statewide.
Philhower and Eastern Hancock Principal Adam Barton are two of more than 100 Indiana leaders, including corporate CEOs, university presidents, K-12 superintendents and state government officials, who are part of the coalition to develop a statewide modern youth apprenticeship system as one potential solution to the state’s mounting workforce crisis.
The trip to Zurich, Switzerland was designed for coalition members, which included Philhower as one of two educators to make the trip. Philhower was part of a five-day adventure to Zurich to learn more about how youth programs in Switzerland work and to figure out how something similar might work in Indiana.
“Our program won’t be exactly like what they do in Zurich, Switzerland, but I think it will be something similar to the Switzerland apprenticeship model,” Philhower said.
The trips are funded by the Charles Fairbanks Foundation. Philhower said the coalition will take several trips to Switzerland, but noted that they are not as much education-focused as they are industry-focused. However, he said the coalition wanted someone on the trip with an educational background to help figure out the school perspective.
“This trip was focused on the banking industry, which is huge in Switzerland,” Philhower said. “It was learning about how those industries, and what roles those industries are playing in helping with the education side of growing workforce development.”
The whole apprenticeship idea has to be industry-led, Philhower noted, because industry leaders are the ones who know what they need and know what students need to know in order to get good jobs right out of high school.
“The trip I was on was one of a series of trips to study different those different industries,” Philhower said. “The coalition will be taking a healthcare-related trip and a manufacturing trip within the next couple of months.”
Philhower was asked to go on the trip by one of the officials in the coalition. He and the superintendent from Wayne Township, Jeff Butts, were the two educators invited to attend.
Philhower said that while it was a whirlwind five-day adventure that included lengthy flights, the trip was profitable.
Following the trip, the group is now in the process of holding a series of meetings to figure out how what they saw and learned can help area high school kids. What was learned will be part of a larger report turned into state officials to help students and industries throughout Indiana.
“I actually learned some things that I think will shift some of the conversations we’re having with our local employers,” Philhower said. “But there will be a bigger conversation statewide and part of my responsibility as part of this group is to think about how we can put things in place to help us scale this kind of work across the state.”
Philhower noted that part of the philosophy for Eastern Hancock is getting kids involved with real work that matters.
“That includes getting them involved in industries to see if they can find something they enjoy doing because that’s really important,” Philhower said. “The more educators and schools that have these conversations, it’s kind of like the rising tide — it rises all ships.”
The goal of what the coalition is doing is not so much classroom education as it is for educators to make sure students have the skills they need when they leave high school so they can contribute to society and live a good and happy life as young adults.
“We want kids to be employable,” Philhower said. “Education is not the goal, employment is, and as an educator that can scare you and I am a little afraid of it, but the more you think about it, that is it. That is the end goal, and it doesn’t have to be college or career so much as it is career. College is just another step for some while many go straight into career.”
The idea is to create educational programming statewide that will be more intentional for students, Philhower said.
“The apprenticeships over in Switzerland are somewhat similar to our work-based learning but they probably have more opportunities for young people,” Philhower said. “Their banking industry has all worked together to find the measurable outcome for each kid who does an internship.”
Philhower noted that is the next piece for Eastern Hancock officials and other schools in the state.
“I think the thought in the United States has been that the ultimate success is the kid who goes to college, but now I feel a noticeable difference in available choice for kids where there are multiple good choices and not just college,” Philhower said. “For those kids who enjoy school, college is a good option, but for other kids, more schooling might be going to college through an industry.”
