March 8, 2017
Our young men and women got a chance to put on their best clothes and practice their professional skills at the annual Job Skills Workshop. The workshop serves as the kickoff to the summer internship season, and is sponsored by Mercy Home’s Leader Council.
A group of 60 of our Leader Council members and other volunteers spend the morning with 70 of our young people, and covered areas such as job applications, on-the-job basics, and professional skills, and conducted mock interviews with our ambitious young people.
The youth spent fall and early winter preparing for the workshop by practicing the job skills they’ve learned throughout the year. The Career Resources team helped them choose business-appropriate clothing and put together resumes.
The day began with everyone gathering to watch a humorous skit put on by the volunteers to demonstrate examples of a good and bad interview. The kids then split up into groups and went to different stations to practice their skills one-on-one with a volunteer. This allowed participants to practice what they’ve learned in a professional setting.
“It’s a really fun day,” said Director of Post-Secondary Options Katelyn Dollard. “The youth did fantastic this year. They were really engaged.”
Our young woman Desiree said she relished the chance to practice her interviewing skills.
“It was very helpful,” she said. “They gave me lots of tips and advice, like what to improve on. It helped me a lot and gave me confidence.”
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The kids were very excited to engage with members of the Leader Council, and were ready to take on any challenge thrown at them.
“Everyone was open to stepping outside their comfort zone,” Katelyn said. “It was fun to see them really be open to it and take advantage of the opportunity to practice their skills.”
The day concluded with a delicious lunch donated by Billy Goat Tavern, and many of our young people stuck around to chat with volunteers.
We are so thankful to members of the Leader Council for their hard work in making this event a success! Thanks also to the whole Career Resources team for spending months prepping our kids for the day, and to the Billy Goat Tavern for the delicious lunch!