ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – The U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command has partnered with local high schools for several years to equip students with the tools for employment success concurrently while they study for their degrees. As part of this effort, over a dozen members of the CECOM Integrated Logistics Support Center workforce recently participated in several rounds of mock interviews in support of the P-TECH program, Pathways in Technology Early College High School.
This recent P-TECH event at APG was geared toward 10th and 11th grade students at Joppatowne High School who are also currently taking classes at Harford Community College. Such dual enrollment will allow these students to graduate high school with an associate’s degree and give them an early edge in competitive career fields. CECOM ILSC was eager to seize this opportunity to interact with the future workforce, which goes hand in hand with CECOM’s long-time commitment to mentorship and the engagement of ILSC senior employees in this important area.
This type of event, along with workplace visits, hands-on instruction, and internships, forms an early foundation for young people from all academic backgrounds who will be vital contributors to the CECOM mission, both in the short-term and in the years beyond. William Baker, an ILSC Logistics Assistance Representative, believes that the mock interview sessions provided real value for both sides of the table, saying “We hope this is as uplifting for them as it is for us. It gets us out of our box.”
P-TECH is provided free of charge through a grant from the Maryland State Department of Education and Harford County Public Schools, and this year marks a decade of creating a meaningful connection between public education and real career building in STEM fields. Students are excited to be a part of the program as they get an early glimpse into what their professional life could look like in a few short years.
Said Che Guy, a current tenth grader at Joppatowne High School who is also studying at Harford Community College, “I’m very grateful. The panelists gave me notes to help me to interview better and be my most authentic self.” Gina Williams, a management analyst at CECOM ILSC — and herself a former educator — relished the chance to interact with students in a professional capacity. “To see so many young adults, from all backgrounds, so poised, passionate, and well-prepared for a future supporting our country is a powerful reminder that the future is in good hands,” she said.
Thanks to its expansive curriculum and unique advancement opportunities that can be difficult to come by in modern working society, P-TECH has made itself into an invaluable pipeline for the kind of talent that the ILSC and other organizations within CECOM need to continue the transformation that the Army requires of them. Eam Rodriguez, another current 10th-grader and dual enrollee at Joppatowne HS and HCC, offered a mature view on what he gained from the experience, saying “It’s really helping us with our careers. This panel gave us feedback on how we can do well in the real world.”
By focusing on academic rigor, real world experience, and staying economically relevant, P-TECH continues to drive forward by pairing hard-working and motivated high schoolers with the industry professionals that can guide them to the mutually beneficial endpoint of the program. CECOM ILSC is grateful to bring its subject matter experts into the fold to help achieve P-TECH’s goals and, ultimately, welcome new talent and proficiency to the Army Civilian workforce.
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