Not everything students learn comes from a book. Many times hands-on experience is the best teacher. But where can the young men and women get that experience? From you, the local business man and woman in Suffolk.

There is a perfect example of this in today’s edition on page 5. Students from Nansemond-Suffolk Academy visited Ciba Specialty Chemicals and received some of that hand-on training with one of their experts.

Are you doing this already? If so, we applaud you. If you are not, we wonder why not.

This is your basic win-win situation.

The students are exposed to how the real world operates, and what it might be like to work in a particular career field. And it might just be that what you do during that visit helps that youngster decide what their career choice may be — or not be in some cases.

And for the businesses, you may be spending a little time with a future employee, one who will go on to college and return to Suffolk to work for your company.

So, what are you waiting for? Call one of the high schools, pay a visit to the students and talk to them about your business or company. Then invite them to visit your company and see what the “real world” is all about.