Building Our Future: LO Works Connects Students with Local Industry

For a group of Live Oak High School students, learning moved beyond the classroom and into workplaces across Morgan Hill this summer as they took part in the inaugural year of LO Works, a new Career Technical Education (CTE) internship program connecting students with local employers and real-world career experiences.

Live Oak’s CTE team shared an update on the program with the Morgan Hill Unified School District Board of Education on August 20, highlighting a successful first summer and a growing opportunity to build stronger connections between MHUSD students and the industries right here in their own community.

LO Works was created to give students meaningful, hands-on experience while helping them see the career possibilities available close to home. Through partnerships with local employers, students had the opportunity to learn directly from professionals, experience workplace expectations and begin building skills and connections that can help shape their plans after high school.

The experience began well before students reported for their first day of work.

Students prepared professional resumes, completed required work-based skills training and participated in interviews for their positions, which gave them experience with the same steps they will encounter when applying for future jobs and internships.

Once selected, interns received clear expectations about their responsibilities and work schedules and were paired with mentors at their worksites. School staff remained connected with students throughout the summer, with interns completing weekly progress reports and participating in exit evaluations with their employers at the conclusion of the program.

This summer’s employer partners included TORAY Advanced Composites, Creative Manufacturing Solutions, SC Builders, and Paragon Mechanical, whose participation gave students an opportunity to experience a variety of professional environments and learn directly from people working in local industries.

For students, some of the most valuable lessons were ones that will translate to nearly any future workplace.

Participants shared that they learned the importance of teamwork, asking questions when they needed help and taking initiative -  even with the smaller details that can make an employee stand out.

Employers also saw value in the experience. Participating businesses expressed interest in continuing their involvement and recognized the importance of creating opportunities for young people to learn about industries and careers before they leave high school.

With its first summer complete, the goal is now to build on what worked and expand opportunities for more students.

Future plans include growing the number of internship placements, bringing additional local employers into the program and expanding into new career sectors, including opportunities connected to Food and Culinary Arts.

LO Works is more than a summer internship program. It is an example of what is possible when our schools and local businesses work together, giving students meaningful experiences today while helping prepare them for the opportunities of tomorrow.

This article also appears in the September 4, 2026 Morgan Hill Times under Morgan Hill Highlights