“Someone’s life just changed, and they don’t even know it yet,” says Ken Hartsaw Jr., founder and chief executive officer of Workforce Advantage Academy. This statement normally means that another student at Workforce Advantage Academy (WAA) has been offered a job that can have a positive life-changing implication. Hartsaw can be heard making this proclamation to many students during the year at Workforce Advantage Academy.

His vision for the academy is to help students graduate from high school with an education and an understanding of the skill sets required to be successful in their personal, professional and social lives.

Some of these students may lose their way academically, socially and/or financially in larger high schools. He has invested many hours developing and cultivating relationships with business partners and leaders in the local and state education community to make high school graduation and gainful employment a reality. WAA, a school of choice, is a unique personalized learning community that creates opportunities for significant life changing activates.

Job coordinators and the transition class instructor teach business classes and help students develop the interviewing techniques, resume writing and employability skills needed to land a job and become an effective employee once hired. The program requires a strong employee base of business partners who provide the jobs and coach the students. Job coordinators work with the business to match students with the skills and interest to succeed on available jobs.