Finding and keeping a part-time job while attending high school can be a daunting task.
Balancing a job with classes, homework, extracurricular activities, hanging out with friends, and simply being a teenager can be tough enough. Now, try doing it in the summer! With temptation and distractions all around, teens with unique capabilities and various barriers to employment try to manage part-time work while taking a break from their scholastic “daily grind”.
This summer was no exception: teens of all ages struggling to find and keep a summer job with little to no work experience to guide them. To help, Goodwill coordinated with local businesses, Western Maryland Consortium, and Department of Rehabilitation Services (DORS) supporting teens as they learn about the world of work.
Goodwill case manager Jeanette Warner worked with 15 students connecting them to employers and partnering them with Goodwill job coaches. Together, they made a big difference in these teenagers’ lives.
If someone, especially a teenager, is having fun, they’re going to work harder, learn more, stay longer, and take better care of the customer and the organization. Below is one very wonderful example of the significant impact that joy experienced on the job has on a teen’s perception of work.
Two high school students, Aaron and Kyler, thought it was going to be a busy day of inventory and extra work at their job site, Community Depot on East 1st Street in Hagerstown, Maryland. Oh, but were they wrong! Gus Shahrooz and the fantastic Community Depot Team had something else planned – they were about to surprise Kyler and Aaron with a limo ride and lunch. A memorable day for everyone, but most especially Kyler – a true limo enthusiast.
Work is meaningful, work is essential — through work we use our talents, gifts and strengths to the best of our abilities; and, through work we can often get something more that sustains us. This summer, with the help of community partners and employers, high school students with unique capabilities experienced this for the first time. And, if they are anything like Kyler, they can’t wait to do it again next summer!
Make sure to follow us @HorizonGoodwill and our partner, Community Depot @communityvalued. Because #puttingpeopletowork = friends + fun! You can watch more coverage of Kyler’s surprise here, WHAG news coverage.