Staff Interview: Jamie Howey
07/21/2023
Staff at Tri-County Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates (JOG) are committed to providing excellent case management and care to our students across all 5 counties we serve. This is true for both our in-school program, and our out-of-school program. One staff member, Jamie Howey is an excellent example of how to meet students where they are at to provide the most applicable resources.
Jamie got his start by working in social work with youth through residential treatment to help youth go to class and build a schedule in the 1990’s and 2000’s. This previous work experience is something he was able to bring to the table when starting with JOG in March of 2022. Jamie joined JOG when he found us online looking to go back to work after a hiatus of social work to go into restaurant management. Jamie explained it best by saying, “I really wanted to get back into that kind of a setting and help people. The more I looked into JOG, the more I was interested in what they had to offer.”
When talking about any opportunities to grow professionally he has had since starting at JOG, Jamie expressed, “Working with the out-of-school students presents special challenges. Getting in contact is one of these challenges. Some students have kids and families, and some have jobs and may even be moving across the state. You are doing a lot of work staying in contact with students, but meeting our students where they are at is very important.”
Some of our students are coming from situations that haven’t allowed them to stop and recognize their own accomplishments. When discussing this idea, Jamie said, “Some of our students haven’t had a lot of opportunities for success in their life and we want to make sure we can give them those as well as celebrate them. That really is the toughest process is to help them see that it is okay to enjoy their own wins.” The feats our students are accomplishing are great, whether it’s from obtaining their GED or graduating high school; to job placements, or even being accepted into further education. Each one is a massive feat.
The JOG program ensures that our students still receive a strong support system no matter what external circumstances may be presenting themselves. Career Specialists like Jamie are the key reason we are able to help encourage our out-of-school students, and participants at large, to make positive life changes for their future. We are proud of all of Jamie’s hard work and are excited to hear more about his positive outcomes here at JOG!