Junior Achievement job shadow program teaches work-force readiness skills to students at East Naples Home Depot store
Fifty middle school students from the Grace Place for Children and Families, Naples summer camp participated in a work-readiness focused field trip to The Home Depot, as part of the Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida (JA) Job Shadow Program. The JA Job Shadow Program inspires students to take an entrepreneurial approach to work by applying work-readiness skills to real-life work environments. In preparation for their visit to Home Depot, the students explored various career options, practiced interview skills and resume writing, and learned how to put their “success skills” into action within a twenty-first century global economy.
Home Depot store manager and veteran Junior Achievement volunteer Daniel Zurbrigg hosted the field trip and kicked off the day by introducing the mission, history and values of the company. Students observed demonstrations, while participating in hands-on activities as they toured various store departments, including gardening, tools, paint, front-end, receiving, and the Home Depot Kids’ Workshop.
Students came prepared with three interview questions. Rising seventh grade student Efrain Reyes asked, “What kind of experience do you need to get a job at Home Depot?” They learned that opportunities range from entry-level positions to high-skilled careers requiring a higher education.
“Students left with an arm-full of goodies and an excitement for the new-found career opportunities available to them right in their local community,” said Anne Frazier, President and CEO of Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida. “Needless to say, the students were thrilled to participate in the Junior Achievement Job Shadow program, with many eager to turn 18 so they too could work at The Home Depot.”
About Junior Achievement: Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated volunteer network, Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida provides in-school and after-school programs for students in Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties that focus on three key content areas: work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. Today, 122 individual area operations reach more than 4 million students in the U.S., with an additional 5 million students served by operations in 120 other countries worldwide. For more information about Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida, contact Anne Frazier at 239-225-2590 or info@jaswfl.org. The website is www.JASWFL.org.
About Grace Place for Children and Families: Grace Place’s mission is to teach literacy, language, and life skills to at-risk children and impoverished families in our community. Over 800 individuals are enrolled in classes at Grace Place where they are learning the skills to overcome the barriers of poverty and language to reach their goals for school, employment, and life. The outcome is children and families who become productive, contributing members of our community.
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