Two dozen students participate in Workforce Signing Day

Twenty-four students were celebrated during an inaugural Workforce Signing Day in Fort Myers, highlighting their achievements as they finish high school.

One of those students was Mariner High School senior Danyella Orjuela.

“It was incredible,” she said. “Honestly I was surprised by the amount of people that showed up. There was more community members honoring the students than participated in the event.”

The Workforce Signing Day kicked off with time for everyone to socialize before each student was introduced independently. Orjuela was accompanied by a Lee Health staff coordinator when she received a plaque with her name. She will be working as a certified nurse assistant with Lee Health at HealthPark, possibly as soon as June.

“I’m glad I attended,” she said. “It’s more likely that you see a lot of high school (students) going to athletic signings (going off to college) and not workforce signings. There are a lot of kids joining the workforce that don’t get the recognition… it’s just as important.”

Although Orjuela knew she wanted to be in health care, it was not until her mother was diagnosed with cancer her junior year that “brought out the light in me” and steered her in the direction of graduating from high school with her CNA and EKG certificates.

“I originally wanted to be a dental hygienist. This took a toll on me,” she said of her mother’s diagnosis of stage four lymphoma cancer because “she is my rock. She’s having a hard time processing it all still. I’m doing what I can for her.”

Orjuela said she wanted to be more hands-on and learn what she could do to be a better helper.

“I wanted to do something in the medical field with nursing,” she said.

Now graduating from Mariner High School next month, she will begin working at HealthPark as a certified nursing assistant helping with patients, making sure they have things they need, making sure they are comfortable, safe and clean, and taking their vital signs.

“I had never had a job before,” Orjuela said. “I focused on school and sports and maintaining my GPA. When walking into the interview at HealthPark I was so nervous.”

Her brother offered advice and tips for her interview. That piece of wisdom, “you’ll know if it was a good interview if it didn’t feel like an interview,” but rather a “conversation.”

Orjuela said the staff was incredible during the interview and she walked away feeling great.

“I have a foot in the door already,” she said.

In the fall, Orjuela will attend the nursing program at FSW, so she can continue to reach for her next goal to becoming a nurse practitioner.

“Working as a CNA I will have a foot in the door at the hospital while trying to get my degree at Florida SouthWestern State College,” she said.

The Workforce Signing Day took place at MY Shower Door last Thursday, May 13.

Adult & Career Education Director Rita Davis said the Workforce Signing Day came to fruition after Board Member Chris Patricca paired the school district with the owner of MY Shower Door Bill Daubmann. She said he asked what if they did a celebration of students accepting full-time employment right after high school.

“We have had high schools do it individually on their own. We loved that Bill wanted it to be district wide and make it a celebratory event,” Davis said.

Daubmann said he has been involved with the school district for years, first through Junior Achievement and then as a sponsor of the Estero High School Culinary and Arts departments.

“I have met with Chris Patricca, our local school committee person, and we discussed this initiative two years ago and it was scheduled and cancelled last year because of COVID-19,” he said. “I got involved because I am on the So Lee EDC (Economic Development Council) and suggested to the board that we needed an initiative to help area businesses ‘retain employees and expand their businesses,’ which is our mission statement.”

Daubmann said he was also a “Wolf” during last week’s “Wolf Den,” a knock off of Shark Tank, at South Fort Myers High School.

“Five students pitched their business ideas to five local entrepreneurs who decided whether or not to fund these ideas and get these students started in their own businesses. I am investing in two of the businesses.... other ‘Wolves’ invested in other businesses,” he said.

This year there was talk about doing the Workforce Signing Day event virtually, but Daubmann said it needed to take place in person. He offered that the celebration could happen outside of his business in the parking lot for social distancing.

“We brought it to the pandemic task force and they approved it,” Davis said. "(Daubmann is) such a champion and advocate for our schools. What a blessing for us. He is co-hosting for us. He has been amazing.”

The inaugural Workforce Signing Day attracted 24 students, which was an increase from zero a month before the event.

“We invited all of the graduating seniors in the Lee County School District,” President & CEO of SWFL Inc. Tiffany Esposito said, adding that they also invited guests, the students parents and guardians, and their employers. “It was optional to participate.”

SWFL Inc. has really been invested in workforce development for some time with conversations stemming around students graduating from high school and going straight into certain trades, and jobs. Esposito said they wanted to celebrate those students going into the workforce in the same was as a student athlete commits to a college athletics team during a “Signing Day.”

Davis said it was a grassroots effort as there has been so much disruption and change at schools this years. She said Career Specialist Kelly Thawley was instrumental in the whole event as she coordinated everything.

“We were literally contacting teachers individually and asking students to sign up,” she said. “We asked all 15 high schools to participate. We have seven high schools represented. That is really awesome.”

The event was invitation only with RSVP required to honor social distancing.

Each students was allowed to invite two guests to attend, and employers and community members also attended. Davis said some students were not able to attend because they were working, and some employers were not able to join because of a employee shortage.

The employers who were present were from such areas as car dealerships, breweries, hoteliers, restaurants and supermarkets. The students either secured a job with these industries post graduation, or work for them currently.

Davis said each student received a framed certificate, as well as a 100 gram chocolate bar. The employer received a window decal that said “I hired a local high school graduate.”

“Our goal for the whole program is to raise awareness for students going into the workforce and helping keep the economy moving,” Esposito said.

She said employers are experiencing challenges of finding workers who have the right skills, or even actual bodies to fillthe positions.

“All businesses are struggling,” Esposito said.

There are more than 80 career and tech centers within the Lee County School District high schools. Davis said over the last several years they have been trying to give students tons of options, as well as credentials before graduating high school.

Davis said on a non-COVD-19 year, they have more than 3,900 course enrollments, which includes a student taking more than one Career and Technical Education course. Those courses range from welding, digital design, medical to automotive.

“If you are interested in it, we’ve got it. It just depends on where it is located,” she said.

The event was cohosted by SWFL Inc., The Lee County School District, Lee County Economic Development Office, MY Shower Door and D3 Glass.

Esposito said the goal is to hold a Workforce Signing Day every year with it ideally growing into a much larger event without an attendance cap due to COVID.

SWFL Inc. has some ongoing programs they are working on, which will help connect the talent pipeline – students, or potential employers – to future jobs. Esposito said there will also be continued discussions of what businesses need in the future and how there can be an appropriate talent supply line ready to go.