Santa Maria students hone their interview skills with the help of local professionals. Since much of their academia has been virtual, students appreciate this in-person practice now more than ever before, as it boosts confidence and soft skills!
All student participants receive financial literacy presentations during their workshops where they learn how to build a credit score, how to understand 401k and IRA savings, what to look for when financing their first car, and they even practice creating a budget!
Santa Maria students hone their interview skills with the help of local professionals. Since much of their academia has been virtual, students appreciate this in-person practice now more than ever before, as it boosts confidence and soft skills!
A record-breaking number of Santa Barbara County high schoolers were admitted to the Paid Job Readiness Training and Internship Program at Partners in Education this spring.
The program empowers students to take on the world ahead through hands-on career exploration and paid work experience, and is only possible with the support of local employers and community volunteers.
Volunteers from the community serve as career coaches who meet with the students virtually on a weekly basis, covering topics from financial planning and resume coaching, to guidance on the big life decisions they will be making after graduating high school. Students are paid for their time, addressing the need to invest in themselves professionally and also earn a paycheck at the same time.
The 73 students who have completed their eight weeks of training this spring are eager to be matched with a local employer for a paid summer internship. Students earn minimum wage for their internship hours, and employers serving as intern hosts pay only a portion of the wages – a flat fee of $800.
Partners makes this process easy for employers by taking care of the paperwork and facilitation. In this way, students gain the experience they need, while businesses gain 80 hours of staff support at a discount.
Students come to the program with a wide range of career interests and dreams. Partners staff work to match students’ skills and interests with meaningful roles.
Graduates of the program have worked as greeters at museums, apprentices in construction and project management, assistants on software or engineering programs, front office staff at medical clinics and dental offices, and more.
Some of the top industries of interest for Santa Maria students are currently health sciences and medical technology, finance and business, and agriculture and natural resources.
All student participants receive financial literacy presentations during their workshops where they learn how to build a credit score, how to understand 401k and IRA savings, what to look for when financing their first car, and they even practice creating a budget!
Contributed, Luis Medina
Russ Garrison, president of Bethel Engineering, the first Santa Maria company to ever hire a student intern through this program, tells us the excellent experience he had with the high school student and Partners in Education Job Readiness training program graduate:
“[Neev] has been prompt and reliable. He seems to be more and more confident interacting with engineering professionals and asks good questions. We would highly recommend participation in this program for the benefit of our future industry professionals and the experience it offers.”
Has your business ever considered how much support a trained student intern can offer you? Do you see a lack of local students applying for jobs in your industry since the pandemic?
Let’s show students the opportunities available to them right here in Santa Maria and fuel our local economy. Thank you to all the Santa Maria businesses who have hired interns so far:
● Bethel Engineering
● Corazón Del Pueblo
● Santa Barbara County Education Office - Santa Maria Department of Special Education
● City of Santa Maria, Parks & Recreation
● Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum
● City of Santa Maria, Public Library
● Searchlight Properties
● R.W. Scott Construction
This is a great way to give back and avoid the hassle of paperwork and recruitment. How do you make sure to find the right student? Just tell Partners you are ready to hire a student, and they will train them, case manage, and take care of all the hiring paperwork.
The community of Santa Maria has embraced the students of this program and opened up connections for them that would have otherwise been unimaginable due to the pandemic.
Build your workforce from the ground up today and reach out to partners@sbceo.org to mentor and gain the staff support of our next generation of industry leaders.
