Robertson is Catalyst for Student-Community Career Connections

Career coach enhances Newton High School’s CTE programs

As a former educator, Amy Robertson enjoyed covering Newton Municipal School District board meetings for the newspaper and writing about the district’s career training programs. Today, she’s part of the story as an AccelerateMS career coach at Newton High School.

“When I was a reporter for the Newton County Appeal, I loved hearing Superintendent Glenda Nickson speak during school board meetings,” Robertson said. “She’s a go-getter who was driving many innovations, like making it possible for students to earn certificates and associate degrees by the time they graduated. I was fired up about that.”

Robertson is one of more than 100 AccelerateMS career coaches who are helping high school students across Mississippi find successful paths into the workforce. As the state’s lead workforce development agency, AccelerateMS supports strategies to connect Mississippians with transformative, high-paying careers.

Robertson assists students who are enrolled in the Newton Career and Technical Center, which offers two-year programs in construction and electrical, health science, culinary arts, early childhood education and teacher academy. She noted that more than 80% of the student body takes at least one career and technical education program.

“We have great community and student participation, and CTE leaders are always looking to add more programs that match students’ career interests,” Robertson said. “An example is hair braiding—students are really interested in the profession, and one of our local businesses generously offered to provide a salon for classes.” 

In March, she helped organize a job fair at Newton High School where students interacted with community employers, submitted job applications, participated in real and mock interviews and learned about local career opportunities. Students prepared in advance by attending seminars on soft skills, interviewing skills and résumé writing.

“During the job fair, businesses gave feedback to students about their interviews,” Robertson said. “Kids got a boost from hearing adults from the work world say that they would hire them. It gives them the feeling that they can make it. We’re working to build a bridge between CTE students and business leaders in the community who can make a difference in their lives.”

A native of Newton, Robertson attended East Central Community College and majored in radio, TV and film production and journalism at the University of Southern Mississippi. She earned her graduate degree from Mississippi State University-Meridian in community college leadership and taught high school English for 23 years, most of them at Leake Academy.

When she graduated from high school in the 1980s, the prevailing attitude was that students had to earn four-year degrees to be successful—a model that is financially burdensome for many families and doesn’t always guarantee career satisfaction. She’s glad students can now pursue a multitude of career pathways that are more in tune with their interests and workforce needs. 

As part of Newton High School’s career-readiness focus, CTE students take WorkKeys assessments that measure foundational skills required for workplace success. Credentials are awarded for four levels—platinum, gold, silver and bronze—and seniors who score silver or above are allowed to leave school early and get jobs.

Because many industries have a minimum hiring age of 18, students often apply for restaurant and fast-food job openings. Through the culinary arts program, they can make their applications stand out by earning ServSafe food-safety training certifications.

“We have a high pass rate for ServSafe, and certifications are good for five years,” Robertson said. “It gives our students an advantage over other applicants, and these jobs help them gain valuable workplace experience and learn how to manage finances.”

 Building relationships with parents is another dimension of Robertson’s job. She’s found that parents are more likely to be supportive when they know of the resources and assistance available to help students achieve their career dreams. 

Robertson recalled a first-generation college student whose mother’s concern over the distance from home to Hattiesburg was standing in the way of her daughter’s desire to attend USM’s nursing program. Robertson arranged to meet them on campus, talk to nursing faculty and tour the university, where they learned about work opportunities at a nearby hospital.

“We were on campus five minutes when the mother began thanking me,” said Robertson. “All fears aside, she expressed excitement that her daughter would experience things that she had not been able to. That was a special moment for all of us.” 

AccelerateMS serves the people and businesses of Mississippi by developing and deploying workforce strategies to connect individuals with transformative, high-paying careers. By leveraging resources and partnering with organizations that hold complementary missions, AccelerateMS effectuates positive change, creating sustained individual, community and statewide economic prosperity.