Schools, Business Put Partnership Plan on the Table

Barely scraping by with report cards full of Ds, Michael Hairston nearly dropped out of school--until someone introduced him to a career that fueled a passion to turn his life around.

“Once I was exposed to physical therapy, I said, ‘Here’s something I love to do and could do as a job,’ ” said Hairston, who now operates his own physical therapy business in Orange. “I went from being a D student to an A student, which is common for people when they find a place to go to work that is enjoyable.”

Hairston, who now devotes time each day to train students in his area of expertise, said partnerships between businesses and schools are vital to build a better-trained work force and help teenagers see a link between their schoolwork and their future.

As part of the first Orange County Business-Education Partnership Conference, Hairston and about 700 other business leaders, educators and community leaders will converge Thursday at the Westin South Coast Plaza hotel. The all-day conference will include workshops and round-table discussions about how corporations and small businesses can get involved in their local schools.

Organizers hope the conference will become an annual event in Orange County.

“This is long overdue,” said Lorraine Dageforde, a business-education partnership specialist at the Orange County Department of Education who organized the conference. “We already have thousands of businesses working with schools, but it’s just a drop in the bucket.”

Dageforde said Orange County now has 1,700 partnerships between businesses and schools, and 6,000 additional businesses involved in Regional Occupational Training programs, which provide students with vocational training.

The Orange County Business Council estimates that there are from 70,000 to 90,000 Orange County businesses, including those operated out of homes.

“So when you have 7,000 businesses involved, it’s a small number,” Dageforde said.

This is the first countywide conference specifically focused on building business-education ties, organizers said.

“I think it’s a start,” Hairston said. “More than anything it’ll allow us to stay current as to what schools’ needs are and what business’ needs are. I see this as a gathering point for people who have common concerns.”

The conference comes at an opportune time as local schools scramble for funds and resources amid shrinking budgets and in the aftermath of the Orange County bankruptcy. Instead of relying on governmental funding, schools have to find new ways to bring high-tech equipment into the classroom, purchase needed supplies and add programs.

That’s where businesses can help. Schools benefit not only from monetary contributions or donations but through internships, training sessions or mentor programs.

“We’re not asking for money,” said David Hagen, superintendent of the Huntington Beach Union High School District and co-chair of the conference. “What we’re really interested in is working with businesses to help prepare students for life after high school or college.”

Fred Mickelson, regional vice president of Southern California Edison and co-chair of the conference, said businesses ultimately will benefit when they link up with schools because they will see better-trained employees.

“It’s a very simple equation,” Mickelson said. “Business leaders need to tell educators the skills they need for their work force, and educators need to say, ‘We’ll produce that.’ Then, businesses need to hire the students.”

Businesses can also enhance their reputation and visibility in the community by building partnerships with schools, Mickelson said.