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GO-CAPS Motto: Test Drive Your Career

Mike Smith
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KSMU-FM

SRC Employee, David Clark:  “When I heard GO-CAPS Engineering & Manufacturing was partnering with SRC, (Springfield Re-Manufacturing Corp.) that’s what really told me, I need to get onto this.  I’m very lucky to get in and do a program like this.  I’ve talked to a lot of people who are a lot older than me, and they all say the same thing, they wish they had a program like this when they were a kid.”

Producer Mike Smith:  “David Clark is a 2016 graduate of Ozark high school, and a big reason why he’s working full time at SRC Automotive today, is because Clark is also a 2015 inaugural class graduate of GO-CAPS, The Greater Ozarks Centers for Advanced Professional Studies.  Think Vo-Tech for the 21st Century.”

Lindsay Haymes:  “So, GO-CAPS is a Jr. Sr. career exploration program.  It’s innovative, as we are trying to connect students to their careers.  We want then to understand what the options are in our area.  We want them to be able understand what it takes to be successful in their chosen career path.”

Mike Smith:  Lindsay Haymes is Vice President of Workforce Development for the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, which manages GO-CAPS.  Haymes is also Executive Director of GO-CAPS.”

Credit Lindsay Haymes / Springfield Area Chamber of Commertce
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Springfield Area Chamber of Commertce
Lindsay Haymes, of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, is Executive Director of GO-CAPS.

Lindsay Haymes:  “So it’s a compilation of professional development, as well as exposure connecting into industry professionals.  A big part of GO-CAPS is engaging with business professionals, job shadowing, doing an internship with a company.  The Chamber sets up the industries, and that’s based on information and trends we’re seeing in terms of high growth areas:  Medicine and Health Care; Engineering and Manufacturing; Technology Solutions; and Business and Entrepreneurship.  All high need areas, high growth areas for this region.  Then, what we allow the students to do, is within those strands, we let them explore what their interests are, and we support them in that.  The opportunity for students is endless for this program, and that’s what makes this so exciting.”

Mike Smith:  “This year, the second year of GO-CAPS, 13 school districts are participating.  Springfield Public Schools Superintendent John Jungmann is an early proponent of bringing GO-CAPS to area schools and businesses.”

John Jungmann:  “Our motto for this is Test Drive Your Career.  So we really think its connecting kids to their futures, and exposing them to things they traditionally don’t get during their high school experience.  The program is funded through a tuition basis, kind of like a traditional career and tech center.  Kids are there on a half day, per day, 3 hour session.  Each school district funds a tuition rate, and I think this year the tuition rate is $1,250 per-semester per-student.  Springfield Public Schools is the fiscal agent, so we take in all the resources, we hire the teachers, and then provide instructional budgets. Our business partners are critical because they provide us space.  They give us locations to host our classrooms right there on site at the industries.” 

Mike Smith:  “Students interested in the Engineering & Manufacturing, or Technology Solutions strand of GO-CAPS, attend classes at SRC Holdings.  Both MERCY and COX Health Systems host Health and Medicine classes, and Business and Entrepreneurship classes are held at MSU’s, E-Factory.  John Jungmann says GO-CAPS also trains and tests its students in the so called Soft Skills, needed for professional and personal development.”

Credit Springfield Public Schools
John Jungmann, is Superintendent of Springfield Public Schools, and is an early proponent of bringing GO-CAPS to area schools

John Jungmann:  “The communication skills; the collaboration skills; how do you present to a group of colleagues; how do you be an effective member of a team; how do you make eye contact; how do you persuade; how do you see the larger goal, the big picture.  It doesn’t matter is you’re going into health care or engineering and manufacturing, those skills are universally needed.”

Mike Smith:  “This introduction to, and conversation about GO-CAPS, continues this afternoon on ALL Things Considered.  The KSMU Sense of Community Series of reports on GO-CAPS, continues through Friday at 7:45am, and 4:44pm, each day.  The Sense of Community Series is also posted on-line at ksmu.org.  I’m Mike Smith.

Mike Smith's career at KSMU began in 1980 as a student announcer when the former Navy Submariner attended (then) SMSU with help from the GI Bill. In 1982 Smith became a full time member of the KSMU family as "Chief Announcer", responsible for the acquisition, training and scheduling of the student announcing staff. It was also in 1982 when Smith first produced "Seldom Heard Music" a broadcast of Bluegrass which is still heard on KSMU and ksmu.org every Saturday night at 7CT.