Prior to the pandemic, Cleveland educational nonprofit (ELA) served as 鈥渢he cherry on top鈥� in polishing off student workforce and entrepreneurial development.
But after a year of virus-spurred remote learning, ELA鈥檚 mission of social and emotional development is no longer seen as a luxury. Instead, it is now deemed by educators as essential, said organization founder and executive director Flo Brett.
The nonprofit teams with schools and Northeast Ohio companies to develop a curriculum of leadership, communication and additional 鈥渟oft skills鈥� needed in the workforce. Ideally, participants will be prepared for job opportunities around STEAM - which is STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) with arts included.
鈥淲hat we do as an organization is development self-understanding,鈥� said Brett, whose Warrensville Heights enterprise partners with 230 schools and 120 businesses in Cuyahoga and Lorain counties. 鈥淵ou never know when you will be in that moment when you have an opportunity. If you haven鈥檛 got the right mindset or the right tools in your backpack, (that opportunity) will never come through.鈥�
Successful people understand the value of self-determination, Brett said. To that end, ELA programming centers on goal setting and out-of-the-box thinking. Citing a Duke University study, Brett said that early soft-skill development significantly increases a student鈥檚 chances of obtaining a college degree and securing full-time employment by age 24.
Curriculum cultivated by a seasoned team of educators and nonprofit officials prepares middle-school students for the transition into high school. Meanwhile, a program called ClubLead coaches learners in grades 5 through 12 on critical team and leadership dynamics.
Keystone High School junior Victor Vilchez was chosen by his school for ELA鈥檚 Chamber Leadership Academy, which links participants with elected officials and business leaders. Theme days around government, technology and healthcare are bolstered by Q&A sessions with expert panels. Such early workforce exposure is not something Vilchez regularly encounters in the classroom, he said.
鈥淚t teaches you stuff that they don鈥檛 teach in school to help you in the real world,鈥� said Vilchez. 鈥�(The program) brought me more to the workforce mindset.鈥�
One step at a time
The leadership academy introduces youths to local businesses needing workers with technical skills supported by social and leadership qualities. Problem-solving and a 鈥渟elf-start鈥� mindset carry the same weight for today鈥檚 employers as the foundational abilities needed for the job itself, noted Brett.
These virtues also shift neatly into the entrepreneurial space, she said.
鈥淚 can teach the skills to become an entrepreneur, such as confidence, communication and the ability to think with other people,鈥� Brett said. 鈥淎ll entrepreneurs are busy people, so what does that look like from a time management perspective?鈥�
ELA鈥檚 teachings about interviewing and body language helped Vilchez get a job detailing cars at a Norwalk dealership. Effective body language broadcasts an individual鈥檚 focus and interest level, showing the interviewer that they have your full attention, he said.
Vilchez plans to use his newly acquired knowledge for a business and marketing degree. Beyond that, he envisions a future of real estate and stock market investment or even starting a business of his own. What he knows for certain is that Northeast Ohio needs an influx of leaders.
鈥淭his is our community, and a lot of us will end up back here after college,鈥� said Vilchez. 鈥�(ELA) is preparing us for that, because we鈥檒l need people in those leadership positions.鈥�
Brett, the ELA founder, is a product of the program, an entrepreneurship-focused investment program hosted by Goldman Sachs. After gleaning a business education from a cadre of like-minded entrepreneurs, the native of England poured her leadership and organizational skills into the Cleveland nonprofit. Formerly a lead Intensive Care Unit nurse with a background in training and clinical governance, Brett knows very well that the path to successful private enterprise usually takes a few unexpected turns.
鈥淲e are the first sphere to get you ready to be in that position where you can even consider yourself an entrepreneur,鈥� Brett said. 鈥淥r to be able to write a business plan, or be ready to network and ask the right questions. Without step one, you鈥檒l never get to step two.鈥�
Connecting to the community
ELA is funded by participating schools and businesses, though schools that can only afford partial payments get a discount. The organization also gets funding from individual donors.
, which designs truck air brake systems and components, recently welcomed Lorain High School students for an event highlighting opportunities in STEAM and manufacturing. During the November visit, 18 Lorain High juniors and seniors toured Bendix鈥檚 high-tech Elyria headquarters and engaged a group of employees in a panel discussion.
鈥淲e鈥檙e a local engineering company, so we want them to be exposed to that,鈥� said Maria Gutierrez, director of sustainability and corporate responsibility at Bendix. 鈥淭his is different than hearing about us in school. They have the opportunity to see us in person 鈥� what it looks like from day to day as an engineer, and (the ability to) talk to employees on their career paths.鈥�
An introduction to the inner workings of a successful company can also be a motivating factor for a would-be business owner, Gutierrez added.
鈥淎ll businesses started because there was an entrepreneur who decided there was a need to fill,鈥� said Gutierrez. 鈥淭hey can see what鈥檚 needed to make a business special.鈥�
ELA鈥檚 Brett founded the nonprofit knowing young people must develop 21st century soft skills to make it in the globalized marketplace. Nurturing these abilities can only lift students into an ever-evolving 鈥渨orld of work鈥� that includes entrepreneurs, she said.
鈥淭hese individuals must cultivate the workforce readiness skills that will enable them to successfully secure and retain jobs, launch their own innovations and attract investors,鈥� said Brett. 鈥淎ll of our programs take students on a journey of self-discovery. As an entrepreneur, you need to know your strengths, your weaknesses, be able to define your opportunities, and side step the threats.鈥�
