HIRED! helps Baumholder teens get ahead

By Stacy Theresa Graham, USAG Baumholder Public AffairsAugust 4, 2009

HIRED! helps Baumholder teens get ahead
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HIRED! helps Baumholder teens get ahead
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BAUMHOLDER, Germany - Surviving high school is a challenge on its own, but what happens afterward' Many students go to work or continue on to college and never know what they are really interested in.

HIRED! Apprenticeship, which has two parts, is a new program starting this fall at U.S. Army Garrison Baumholder geared toward helping students get ahead and prepare for their futures.

The first component is a paid apprenticeship program for students, 15-18 years old, offering hands-on practical work experience at family, morale, welfare and recreation facilities and all other approved places of employment. The other element is workforce preparation training offered every two weeks during the program's 12-week term.

HIRED! is an ongoing project offering enrollment opportunities four times a year' Teens, who can participate in two out of the four terms a year, are required to complete 15 hours of work in a seven-day period.

"It will provide youth with the opportunity to explore career choices and identify interests," said Martha Nyako, HIRED! coordinator.

"It will offer youth experiences and skill development and enable them to successfully enter the workforce."

The program runs from Sept. 22 to Dec. 15, and apprentices will concurrently participate in the HIRED! workforce preparation training.

Training will cover topics such as writing resumes, interview skills and techniques, how to search for jobs, learning how to set goals, exploring and learning about college majors and careers, how to enroll in college, how to get scholarships, completing applications, ways to become a mentor, how to control stress and time management tips for teens and how to survive high school.

In addition participants will have the opportunity to go to job fairs and attend field trips to various businesses. Upon completion apprentices receive a cash award and certificate from Kansas State University.

"The HIRED! Program will have a positive impact on our youth program," said Nate Watson, program manager for the middle school and teen program.

"The youth program will be the first stepping stone to getting students HIRED. Students will walk away with the knowledge and enhanced skills in writing, customer service and on-the-job training. Students can feel confident at the end of the program ready to shine and impress future employers. The apprenticeships will definitely help students prepare for job and college applications and even life in general."

A summer pilot program is in progress involving a small number of teens.

Fifteen-year-old Adrian Julien is participating in the pilot.

"I think it is ... very good," said Julien. "It is a lot of hard work, but it is worth it."

Julien said every component in Hired! makes it beneficial. He has been working for only two weeks but said he has already learned a lot.

"I have learned to put together a weed wacker," he said. "I have learned to assemble a lot of things, take inventory and assemble paintball markers. I have learned a lot in just two weeks.

"I'm not sure if I will attend the next term. It will depend on my schedule, but I do plan on taking this program again in the future."

Hired! is an exploratory career program, meaning participants can change job positions after trying it for one term. This gives teens the opportunity to work at various facilities on post.

"It's really worth it. Of course it is work but anything that you are going to do is going to be work. It is definitely worth it because of the benefits you have. You get to learn things; you get to experience new things; you get to gain responsibility and gain your independence," said Julien.

The HIRED! apprenticeship program is open to children 15 and older. But younger children can participate in the workforce training part of the Hired! program.

"We are looking forward to it," said Craig Edwards, director of Bamberg's Outdoor Recreation and the Rod and Gun Club, "because one it gives us much needed man power and two we have got a pretty fun kind of business. (The Hired! apprentices) get to participate in a lot of it."

Edwards said Julien has already worked on the paintball field, done a lot of grounds and maintenance work and worked on the trap and skeet range. Julien was issued a state-of-the-art mountain bike to get to and from work and to use during work hours.

"He will get exposure to the Warrior Adventure Quest (for redeploying Soldiers). Part of his duties and roles will be assisting in the program helping to administer the trips," said Edwards.

"I would love to work at an Outdoor Recreation center," said Julien. "I love this stuff. My favorite part is hard to say. I like setting up tents and doing the inventory. It is a great program. People should do it."