THOMASVILLE — Project Purpose relaunched its free two-week program for high school graduate students today with 10 new candidates. 

The project first launched in 2019 and offers a chance for students to earn an OSHA certificate and learn soft skills that will help them in the workforce. 

The program also allows students to tour some of the top industries in the city. Once students have completed the two-week program, they will have the opportunity to interview and possibly become employed at one of the top industries.  

This year, industries include Evoqua, Flowers Foods, Hurst Boiler, Thomasville Toyota and Thomasville Ford.

“It (Project Purpose) gives students the feel for how they should prepare themselves for employment and it gives them some experience in doing that and realizing how important work ethics are for getting a job,” said Dennis Lee, vice president for economic development at Southern Regional Technical College.

Andrea Collins, executive director at the Thomasville Chamber of Commerce, said that the project is one thing the Chamber has been working on to strengthen the workforce pipeline. 

“As everyone is encouraged to receive a degree, we at the end of the day want to encourage that if you’re interested in putting your trade and skill set to use and working with your hands, then that can be a successful career as well,” Collins said. “And that’s just one small program that we’re working on to strengthen that workforce pipeline.”

The Chamber is partnering with Imagine Thomasville, Southern Regional Technical College and Thomas County School Systems again, but this time they’re adding an additional partner — TiskTask.org.

Katie Chasten, founder and CEO of TiskTask.org, said she will be sharing her platform’s curriculum during the two-week program and hopes to give students real world workforce skills.

“The idea is to develop real world workforce skills as they solve these challenges. We focus on communication, critical thinking, empathy and creativity because that’s what we hear employers are in desperate need of today,” she said. “Employers are so desperate for workforce now and we know there are students capable and willing to fulfill the roles that businesses need. We need to find a way to connect with that from the time they graduate school until the time they start work, so we want students to be in careers that have growth potential for them and that they find a purpose in the workplace.“  

Issac King, a graduate from Bishop Hall Charter School, was the first to become employed after completing the two-week program back in 2019. Collins said that the goal this year is to get more students employed in one of the industries. 

“Out of the 10 students that go through the program our goal would be to place at least five in a job. That would be a great success,” she said. “If all of them could find a position, that would be great, but realistically, placing half within one of the businesses would be great.”

Although the program initially targeted graduating high school students, Chasten said anyone who is interested in gaining experience is welcome to apply and that there are still positions available.

“It’s a great opportunity,” she said. “For those who just want to get in the workforce and want to try something new, and this could be for students who have just graduated high school and want that gap year experience, or it could be the adult learner who has been out of the workforce and wants to get back in the workforce, but basically anybody looking for an entry-level job that offers growth positions is what we’re looking for.”