Groundhog Day; the Perfect Day for Job Shadowing

On Friday, February 7, 2014, the Arrowhead United Way in San Bernardino played host to two students from the Inland Empire Job Corps Center as part of the annual Job Corps Groundhog Job Shadow Day event. Porsche Nichols, Resource Development Director for the United Way said at their last Board meeting she was introduced to the idea of bringing Job Corps trainees into their facility by Board member Arlene Garcia. “Arlene brought flyers about the Groundhog Job Shadow Day and asked us to consider inviting some students in to spend the day at our office. I immediately said yes because I realized what a great opportunity it was for the students to add something solid to their resumes.” Nichols explained, “Sometimes it’s hard for a student to be able to add real work experience to their resumes when they’re trying to find the path to their careers. Any opportunity, even for such a short term internship, can be a real resume builder. We decided to put together an agenda that would allow the students assigned to us to be able to leave with something that they can add to their resume to show what they’re capable of. With our planned group work assignment, we’re going to have them construct an idea for something significant to implement here at the United Way, and then we are going to take the steps to see that idea fulfilled. This will be a great way for the students to be able to put on their resumes ‘I came up with an idea, a plan that was used by the United Way’ and that will help them realize their own potential in the business world.” During the time spent at the United Way, Job Corps trainees Damian Green, 18, and Marina Marquez, 16, both of San Bernardino, heard from Job Corps Manager of Resource Development Sheka Hurd how her own journey through the AmeriCorps experience led her to develop a career with the Arrowhead United Way. Then they were given individual work assignments and came together to complete the group work assignment that will leave its mark for the future plans of the United Way. Green has been in the Job Corps for about five months now. He is directing his studies in the Business and Finance area, hoping to one day work to open up homes for those who are less fortunate in life. When asked about spending his day at the United Way, Green said, “This is all something new to me. I learned today about the United Way, and that there are resources here for people to help other people. I think God put me in this path, He knows what I want to do. I thank the people here at the United Way for this experience.” For Marquez, her hopes and dreams include getting her real estate license, opening a restaurant and becoming a lawyer. Having been in the Job Corps for the past four months, she had visited the United Way office in late 2013 for a program offered through one of the United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council. They had taught students how to ‘Interview for Success’ and Marquez had learned at that seminar that the United Way prepared individuals to bring their good ideas to the community. “This is a good experience,” said Marquez, “It’s really helping me transfer what I’m being taught at the Job Corps into the real world of business.” Fred Hill, the Inland Empire Job Corps Finance and Business Instructor, was thrilled to have the trainees invited to the United Way office for the day. “Businesses like the United Way help us make the connection between what we are teaching in technical skills to our trainees to show them how that translates into the everyday business world,” said Hill. “This is a great opportunity to see how their learned skills relate to the workplace, and the correlation of that exposure to a worksite helps enable our trainees to be more ready for possible employment in the near future. When the private sector in business reaches out to an organization such as the Job Corps, the interaction is always a partnership that builds the student’s capacity for much greater success.” Porsche Nichols of the United Way added, “We are always inclusive of bringing internships into what we are doing. By allowing our young people to learn to succeed, we are insuring our future as well as theirs. Our community is only as strong as our weakest link. So if we do not find ways to improve the lives of those around us, we are destined to remain in a cycle of social and economic disparity. In my opinion, that improvement starts with our Youth, which is why I was happy to spend time with the Job Corps students; helping them to develop strong business skills."