Escondido Program Takes Aim at Dropout Problem : Education: Schools and businesses schools joining forces to teach basic work skills.

Escondido community leaders, after two years of discussion, have acquired the funds to start a pilot program designed to teach basic work skills to potential high school dropouts.

The program is the result of a growing interest by the business community in improving the reading and writing of teen-agers as well as instilling the work ethic.

The Escondido Education Compact has held monthly meetings with school administrators, city officials, businesses and Chamber of Commerce representatives to discuss development of a permanent coalition between local businesses and schools.

Compact is an umbrella agency, spearheaded by the Chamber of Commerce that represents the coalition of businesses and the Escondido high school and elementary school districts. It is independent of the school districts.

The community partnership was formed to assist students who are at risk of dropping out of school, said Marv Gilbert, the group’s co-chairman.

“Compact was formed to encourage students to stay in school, to increase their grade point averages and attendance records,” he said. “And, if they decide not to go to college, some of the businesses may offer them jobs.”

The object of the program is to give students first-hand work experience so they will be prepared to make career choices, Gilbert said.

He said the organization will try to get local businesses to set up vocational training facilities in auto mechanics, banking and computer operations.

Jeffrey Cheyne, another co-chairman of the group, said the committee is focusing on developing programs, trying to see “what’s out there,” before any specific training plans are implemented. Two programs the committee is looking into are a mentor program and a preschool program.

The mentor program would involve making arrangements with a business owner to meet with a student once a week for a semester or a year and discuss the student’s career pursuits or business interests.

“The first step is to hire a coordinator and select a program or two,” Cheyne said. “We’re looking right now, trying to learn and identify resources in the community. We don’t want to reinvent the wheel. We want to see what’s already being done, and what needs to be done.”

The committee is taking things step by step to gauge community interest in the program, Cheyne said.

He said it has taken this long to get the pilot project off the ground because the committee wanted to make sure that the community was interested and that it was able to obtain enough money to hire a coordinator. Besides, the members are volunteers who could not devote all of their time to a search.

The committee has $50,000 donated by local businesses and both the Escondido High School and Escondido Elementary School districts.

The nonprofit organization expects to begin implementing the project at the beginning of the next school year.

The committee is looking for someone who has fund-raising and grant-writing experience; experience in education and business; and someone with employment training. The right person should also have a vision of how to involve at-risk students with businesses, according to Cheyne.

Five candidates were interviewed for the position last year, but the committee decided not to hire anyone because none was qualified.

The committee readvertised for the position, and 135 resumes were received from all over the county. The deadline was Feb. 5.