Learning and Earning : Jobs Program Offers Students a Taste of the Working World

With mixed emotions, 15-year-old Darrell Jackson is looking forward to “just hanging out” in his southeast San Diego neighborhood until school starts.

The downside, he said, is that his first job ended the other day. But the good news is that for the next few weeks he’ll be explaining to his peers what he did on that job.

Jackson is one of 17 area teen-agers who had a paid summer job while getting classroom training in the basics of restaurant work.

“Signing up for the program was an opportunity for me to have something to do and to make some money for different things I want,” Jackson said.

The new program, which offers summer opportunities for economically disadvantaged or handicapped teens, is sponsored by the San Diego County Regional Occupational Program, the city’s Regional Youth Employment Program and the Marriott Corp.

The students worked four-hour shifts five days a week at Lindbergh Field and were paid the minimum wage at various entry-level restaurant industry positions. The six-week jobs included food preparation, warehouse, and sales and service work.

The county provided classroom training prior to the job assignments; Marriott provided the facilities at its Host International cafeteria, food stands and warehouse at Lindbergh, and the city, through the state education fund, provided the funding for the program, according to Gene Tendler, ROP job placement specialist.

“I really had a lot of questions about whether this program would fly,” said Dewayne Schilling, an ROP food service instructor. “We did all we could in the classroom to prepare the students for the pressure and confusion that they would have to go through. But the true lesson came when we were able to provide hands-on, paid experience--what we hadn’t been able to do before.”

Said Dan Lawrence, Marriott general manager of airport operations: “We saw the class as an opportunity to assist in the community and to possibly draw some future students as employees for us.”

One program participant, Charlotte Haigwood, has since been hired full time to work in a yogurt shop at the airport, and company officials are in the process of placing at least one

other student.

“Host has gained a tremendous amount from having the students train on our sites,” said Angela Verzi-Schranz, manager of Host’s administrative services.

“The program has proven to be a mutual exchange in good things for the company and the program,” she said. “Besides the students, our employees, who they are training side-by-side with, have even gained something from it.”

Jackson said his parents encouraged his participation in the program after his sister Faye, 17, completed her ROP training last year and was subsequently offered a part-time job.

Too Young to Hire

“I wish I was able to get on (with Host) part-time during school, but I was told I’m too young,” he said, adding that he was encouraged to contact personnel workers when he turns 18.

Jackson said many of his friends were somewhat envious because he was able to find summer employment. Jackson, a junior at Morse High School, noted that those same friends are seeking his help in enrolling in fall ROP classes.

The ROP students also receive credit toward graduation upon completion of the program, Schilling said.

Didn’t Have the Discipline

Four students were dropped at various stages because of problems such as poor work attendance, he said.

“Those four don’t yet have the discipline that we are trying to teach in the program,” Schilling said. “Hopefully they did learn that their future employers mean business when they hire them to do a job and they aren’t performing at an expected level.”

Anna Teter, ROP interpreter for the hearing impaired, said the program has helped some of the students “come out of their shells and develop their interpersonal skills.”

“We’ve had to combat the wrong attitude that just because the students may be poor or learning disabled that they couldn’t necessarily make it on their own,” she said.

Program to Be Expanded

Administrators said program results were better than expected, and they plan to expand to include year-round, on-site training for all subjects taught through ROP.

According to placement specialist Tendler, more than 32,000 people countywide have taken ROP courses in the last year.

“We train and retrain people in fields ranging from accounting to welding,” she said.

Emma Hodges, 17, a senior at Patrick Henry High School, said she was able to gain a sense of responsibility by having to actually produce “instead of just talking about (work) in the classroom.”

“I had to deal with all kinds of people,” Hodges said. “I had to learn that people are not the same, and how to deal with different attitudes--something that’s sure to help me in whatever I do after this job.”