PIKETON, Ohio – Southern Ohio Career and Technology Center (CTC) students who participated in an Ohio State University South Centers at Piketon youth entrepreneur training course are being rewarded for their efforts.
As the result of support from the Sauder Endowment of the Ohio 4-H Foundation, area high school students from four Career and Technology Centers completed a business planning and entrepreneurial training course. During the course the students learned about owning and operating a small business and were walked through the process of developing a business plan.
Students then presented their plans and were judged according to their presentations, as well as their business plan. The two outstanding winners were Victoria House and Aaron Blanton, both from the Vern Riffe Career amd Technology Center, who each received a $1,000 cash award.
The cash awards were made possible by the support of area organizations including the Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative, Pike County Chamber of Commerce, Ross County Chamber of Commerce, Scioto County Chamber of Commerce, and Community Action Committee of Pike County. In addition to the two $1,000 awards, six participants received $100 each as a result of the support of Oak Hill Banks.
"The course provided students the opportunity to learn skills that may help them start and manage their own business. This training course was designed to fine-tune those skills and teach them about running a business," said Christie Welch, program coordinator with OSU South Centers. The program taught students how to develop a business plan, explored options to finance a small business, and touched on aspects of business, employee and risk management.
Buckeye Hills Career Center, Pickaway-Ross, Career and Technology Center, Vern Riffe Career and Technology Center and the Scioto County Joint Vocational School participated in the program. The schools provided video conferencing to deliver the training. Those providing support for the program included the Small Business Development Center at the OSU South Centers, the Endeavor Center, OSU Learning Center South, OSU Extension, the Manufacturing SBDC at the OSU South Centers, and Community Action Committee of Pike County.