College and Career Preparation
It is the mission of Griswold Public Schools that graduates of Griswold High School journey into the future as engaged citizens, effective communicators, critical thinkers, and resilient problem solvers. During their years at Griswold High School, students are given myriad opportunities to practice and demonstrate proficiency in these skills through course work and assessments, activities and athletics, and community service projects and participation.
Students can learn about post-secondary opportunities by attending GHS's annual career and college fair, attending school-sponsored college visits, opting into skill assessments by taking courses within career pathways, enrolling in certification programs, engaging in career preparation activities such as mock interviews, performing job shadows, career-related community service opportunities, and more. GHS often has visitors during lunch waves to talk to students about post-secondary opportunities, including local employers, military recruiters, and more.
Explore our Certification Programs below.
Eastern CT's Youth Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative (YMPI)
Griswold High School is proud to offer the full Youth Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative (YMPI) to our students. YMPI is based on the Eastern CT Workforce Investment Board’s (EWIB) nationally recognized Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative (MPI), which has placed over ~2,000 individuals in jobs. The curriculum is recognized by the Eastern Advanced Manufacturing Alliance (EAMA) which consists of ~50 manufacturing companies (including General Dynamics Electric Boat) in Eastern CT as rigorous and skilled training courses that prepare individuals for entry-level jobs in manufacturing.
Manufacturing companies in Eastern CT have a large demand for jobs for years to come. And with many workers in this field reaching retirement age, there is an extensive demand for these jobs to be filled. The Eastern CT Workforce Investment Board, in collaboration with Three Rivers Community College (TRCC), Quinebaug Valley Community College (QVCC), the Westerly Education Center (WEC), and the Eastern Advanced Manufacturing Alliance (EAMA), have created a workforce development plan to implement skilled manufacturing exposure and training for K-12 schools, such as Griswold High School, to prepare for the next generation of manufacturers!
The Opportunity:
Griswold High School offers an Advanced Manufacturing course, which stems from the YMPI, that prepares students with a direct school-to-career pathway toward careers in the manufacturing industry after graduation. Students in this program will attend a high-rigor skills training class with a curriculum designed by teachers and employers in trades such as sheet metal fabrication, basic machining, computer numeric control (CNC), layout, blueprint reading, precision measurement and CADD. The curriculum is exclusively designed to align each student’s skill set and employment competencies with those that are in demand by manufacturers. Students will have opportunities to earn an OSHA 10 certification, 150+ training hours, and interviews with local employers. College credit will be awarded upon completion of the formal program and achieving a passing grade on the hands-on evaluation. Several GHS students have secured employment before graduation.
The Advanced Manufacturing (AM) course is open to juniors and seniors who have completed or are taking Wood Tech I and CADD I courses concurrently. A working knowledge of traditional hand tools, portable power tools and machinery is essential. Also, there is an extensive blueprint reading unit in AM that may be difficult for a student who hasn’t taken CADD. A junior who completes the YMPI curriculum requirements will unfortunately have to wait until the end of their senior year to sit for the hands on evaluation given by EWIB to earn their certification. Employers are looking to hire 18+ year old graduating seniors.
The Training:
Students who enroll in this program will:
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Complete 150 hours of hands-on training taught during class time in their individual schools.
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Gain foundational manufacturing job skills. Including employability skills through business and industry partnerships.
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Access to manufacturing employers through various career fairs and events.
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One-on-one job search assistance though the American Job Center’s Business Services team.
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Receive a YMPI certificate at completion for career pathways, college credits, and pre-apprenticeship hours.
The Benefits:
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Field trips to manufacturing facilities
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Virtual Reality headsets with experiential job training
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Employer school visits
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Manufacturing activities
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Tool kits
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Manufacturing Career Days
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Manufacturing Camps
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and much more!
View and download the Griswold High School YMPI program flyer here.
See recent GHS graduate AJ Hamel '22 discuss his experience with the YMPI program (YouTube link).
Where to Begin?
Students enrolled in Griswold High School should talk to their School Counselor to learn more about the Engineering, Manufacturing & Design Career Pathway, and enroll in the proper electives to be eligible for Advanced Manufacturing in their junior or senior year.