Students who have put in extra work to gain skills that are in demand at Lehigh Valley employers were honored recently for their dedication to expanding their talents. 
Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School (BAVTS) and its partners recognized 21 students on April 11 for completing the Professional Skills Training Course. It teaches “soft skills” that make employees successful, such as how to manage conflict and how to be punctual, communicate, collaborate, and organize.
The course was developed following surveys of employers’ needs by Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) and Workforce Board Lehigh Valley.
“We listen to what's happening in our community and adapt to its needs, while at the same time, look to the future to make sure we are in a position to provide our students with exposure to the careers of tomorrow,” said Adam Lazarchak, Executive Director at BAVTS.
“We created this program so that we could guarantee employers that if they hire one of these individuals recognized today, they would be getting a great employee,” he said.
The students who obtained their professional skills certificate are studying health careers, automotive technician, masonry, commercial art, culinary arts, protective services, computer networking, plumbing, social media marketing, and welding. They are from the Bethlehem Area, Northampton Area, and Saucon Valley school districts.
After the ceremony, they had the opportunity to network with about 15 employers who attended.
Northampton Community College developed the curriculum and the course is taught by NCC instructors Anita Krick and Peg Wakstein. BAVTS Bridges Foundation provides the funding, which comes from the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program and donations from businesses in the region.
Lazarchak thanked the organizations that make the program possible, including LVEDC.
“It was their Education and Talent Supply Council meetings and subsequent industry surveys that planted the seed for this certification program,” he said.
“BAVTS is incredibly responsive to our employers’ needs. They took feedback from our community, recognized the challenge, and built a solution with their Professional Skills Training Course. We at LVEDC applaud their work and are grateful to the students who have invested their time and energy preparing themselves with the skills our employers value," said Karianne Gelinas, LVEDC's Vice President of Regional Partnerships & Talent Strategies.
The Professional Skills Training Course is open to select students who are invited after demonstrating superior attendance, responsibility, attitude, and work ethic. Of 436 senior students at BAVTS, 52 were recommended for the program this school year and 21 achieved their certification.
(Photo courtesy of BAVTS Bridges Foundation)