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By Steven Curto

After completing the Job Olympics, peers-in-learning students and special education students stand alongside one another to pose for a photo on Tuesday, March 9.

Nearly 20 students competed in the annual Job Olympics Tuesday, March 9. This annual event is a competition between 40 different schools throughout the area that allows students to display their employment skills. 

The Job Olympics usually brings together over 500 students from different schools to compete at JCCC. Due to COVID-19, this year’s students competed at their own schools and submitted a score to JCCC to receive final results. Those results will be announced in April. 

Despite the change, students were able to compete in the same events as past years, including basic job skills ranging from vacuuming to envelope folding to interviewing for a job. 

Teachers assess each student’s abilities beforehand and assign them their events. Students practice throughout the semester to prepare for their events.  

According to special education teacher TJ Finan, the students’ favorite part is showing off their skills and getting recognized by their peers. He enjoys seeing the students learn, practice their events, and then finally seeing all of their hard work pay off. 

The Job Olympics helps students learn and improve skills that will stay with them for life, according to Finan. 

“[They learn] vocational skills they will use in their future to obtain jobs in the community,” Finan said.