JACKSON, Tenn. – The Jackson-Madison County School System is expanding employment options for students participating in the Local Options and Opportunities Program (LOOP). Regions Bank is making the development possible by providing $7,000 to cover salaries for two student employees in the JMCSS Maintenance Department.
“Repair workers who develop experience at an early age are more likely to secure leadership or even ownership positions in their fields of employment. Our expectation is that this will lay the groundwork for students working in our food service and our technology departments, during the school day, in an effort for us to grow our future talent,” said Dr. Nathan Lewis, JMCSS Career and Technical Education director.
Some of the original LOOP employment options for students include Stanley Black & Decker, TBDN, BlueScope Buildings, and Delta Faucet. Expanding inwardly to include the JMCSS Maintenance Department, which involves maintaining school facilities and grounds through plumbing, electrical, and carpentry, is also inline with the reimagining process of the New Normal Initiative implemented in August.
“Securing a well prepared workforce may also include this district growing our own teacher candidates through the LOOP Program in the near future. Those are the types of forward thinking conversations the New Normal Initiative supports. With community partners like Regions Bank investing in our school system, we are beginning to imagine limitless opportunities for our students, ” Dr. Lewis said.
Along with providing new funds for student salaries in the LOOP program, Regions Bank will furnish financial education components to give the student employees guidance on responsible banking practices.
“The JMCSS LOOP initiative provides practical, on-the-job training in a variety of important fields,” said Scott Beard, market executive for Regions Bank in Jackson. “But the program also provides students with something more valuable: expanded options to explore careers they might not have previously considered and unlimited opportunities for their future success. This is an initiative Regions is proud to support,” Beard said.