Deer Creek's Workforce Development Experience: Preparing Post-Secondary Students for Success
Deer Creek's Workforce Development Experience: Preparing Post-Secondary Students for Success
This year, Deer Creek proudly joins the Workforce Development Program—also known as Work Experience—as a new partner. This initiative provides paid internships for students looking to enhance their job skills, offering hands-on experience in real-world settings. The program is part of the Central Oklahoma Workforce Innovation Board (COWIB) and is supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. Through this partnership, Deer Creek has welcomed three recent Antler graduates into new roles, allowing them to continue contributing to our district in a different capacity.
Two of our Work Experience interns are making an impact at Rose Union Elementary, where they assist teachers and paraprofessionals, engage in one-on-one learning with students, and provide additional classroom support. Another intern is gaining experience at Deer Creek High School, where they help with the setup and management of athletic events, ensuring a smooth game-day experience.
A key component of the program is the hands-on training that allows these interns to develop valuable skills and succeed in a professional environment. The Work Experience program allows participants to work up to 240 hours, giving them the opportunity to gain meaningful employment skills. This partnership is mutually beneficial—Deer Creek gains valuable assistance for our staff and students, while participants build practical job skills, earn wages and enhance their resumes. The program also complements our broader transition services for students, helping them smoothly move from school to career.
Through this initiative, COWIB fully covers the interns' wages and provides workers' compensation, while employers benefit from a 50% wage reimbursement to offset training and supervision costs.
We are thrilled to launch this program in our district and look forward to seeing its impact on future participants. While supporting student growth from Pre-K through 12th grade is crucial, preparing them for success beyond graduation remains a key priority for our Deer Creek Transition Center initiatives.
Learn more about this statewide initiative at cowib.org.
View one of our interns, Cam, when he found out he was going to get to come back to Deer Creek to work in this program.