BURBANK : Youths in Job Program to Start Internship

For 30 teen-agers from Burbank, high school this spring has been as much preparation for getting a job as for college.

Responding to complaints that graduates don’t know enough about getting and keeping a job, school officials and business leaders have teamed up to provide instruction in basic business skills such as writing a resume or a project proposal and helped students prepare for job interviews.

Two students will start internships today at Burbank Airport, learning about such fields as security, air traffic control, car rentals and baggage, said Elly Mixsell, the airport’s public relations manager.

“Schools may do an excellent job of preparing students for college, but some students are ill-prepared to make the transition into the working world,” said Sue Boegh, director of partnership programs for the Burbank Unified School District.

Students at John Burroughs High School will not only receive a diploma at graduation, but also a Certificate of Employability with a wallet card as proof that they are good workers.

The program was created by the school district and the Burbank-Glendale-La Canada Industry Education Council, and will be presented at the Governor’s Conference on California’s Youth as a model for other school’s throughout the state.

The conference will take place at the Riverside Convention Center next week.

“This program could work for anyone,” Boegh said.