CLAY COUNTY – The school district’s Career and Technical Education division has created a network of closets for students in need of business-appropriate attire.
CTE is a district-wide …
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CLAY COUNTY – The school district’s Career and Technical Education division has created a network of closets for students in need of business-appropriate attire.
CTE is a district-wide division in Clay County schools that helps prepare for a job in fields like graphic design, culinary arts and criminal justice. A large part of the courses are mock interviews, scholarship applications and internship opportunities. All of those require business clothing and for some, those outfits aren’t readily available.
“A lot of our kids just don’t have these kind of clothes,” CTE Supervisor Kelly Mosley said. “They might not have the money to purchase them or something else. They need them (clothes) though so we’re hoping these new closets make that easier.”
The business clothes closet idea was created based on the needs of some Clay County students. Instead of buying suits and dresses they can’t afford or borrowing clothing that don’t fit, they can go to the closet at their school to find the perfect outfit.
The closets are still new for the county. Some schools don’t have them completely set up yet, but Mosley hopes to have all of the closets open soon.
Before the closets, some teachers bought clothes for their students, Mosley said.
“Obviously that can get expensive and we (the district) saw that we could help out which is why we created these closets,” Mosley said.
The clothes are free for students and theirs to keep. Mosley anticipates students utilizing the closet before mock interview held in class, but she hopes students can find outfits they can use in real-world interviews ranging from internships to jobs and scholarships.
Despite the project being so young, Mosley said the community has done an excellent job in filling the closets. From community members with suits to donate to businesses that wish to purchase things like jackets and ties.
The YMCA, Clay County Utility Authority and VyStar Credit Unions are local businesses that have offered their services.
“Our partners have been professional since day one,” Mosley said. “They’ve never let us down and we know they’ll be there for us here to bring these closets to life for our students.”
All high school should have a closet open in the next few weeks.
“This is important because we know students need to be fully prepared and that includes business attire,” Mosley said. “Hopefully this is one less thing they need to worry about when the day for that big interview comes.”