When you are a youth, there are a lot of confusing items in the professional world that you are figuring out and deciding what career pathway you want to obtain. Sanji came to PA CareerLink® Lancaster County with a passion and an eagerness to gain skills, obtain credentials, and get guidance on how to be successful with his career. This led Sanji to become a part of the Youth Program and participate in the Paid Work Experience program and the Design Your Future program. When Sanji first joined the Youth Program, he shared he was experiencing housing insecurity, and his sole source of income came from performing with his saxophone and securing occasional gigs.
“Since Sanji has started at PA CareerLink® Lancaster County, he has been an outstanding participant in our program and passionate about his goals. Seeing how far he has come in the program is nothing less than inspirational.” — said Robert McKenzie, Youth Outreach Coordinator at PA CareerLink® Lancaster County.
So, what are the Design Your Future and Paid Work Experience programs and what did Sanji obtain during this time? Design Your Future is a week-long program where youth participants come into the PA CareerLink® Lancaster County and build skills in professionalism and job seeking. Some of these skills include resume and interview skills, career exploration, and more.
Paid Work Experience is what it sounds like! You get paid while obtaining hands-on experience in the field you want to be a career over a certain period of time. Sanji’s Paid Work Experiences was with We and Co where he learned new skills and built on the skills that he already has.
During this time, Sanji’s Career Navigator informed him about an opportunity to obtain a certificate in Renewable Energy Construction Technology that was being offered at Tec Centro in conjunction with Thaddeus Stevens. Sanji took the opportunity to apply and ended up being rewarded with a scholarship! With the help of PA CareerLink® Lancaster County, he was able to attend and obtain necessary equipment(including jeans and work boots).
With the knowledge from this course, the Design your Future program, and the Paid Work Experience program; Sanji was pleased to share the update that he has been hired by Tristar Solar and has the opportunity to work part-time while he completes his training at Tec Centro. Once he graduates, Tristar Solar plans to transition him into a full-time role. This event has made Sanji to be the first in his course to have a set career for after his studies!
Sanji shares that he is excited about the future and that the skills and experience he gained through PA CareerLink® Lancaster County and Tec Centro led him to this great opportunity to take a hold of his career.
“For those who think they don’t have experience or are too young and feel like they can’t get their foot in the door; PA CareerLink® Lancaster County is the way to go!” — said Sanji during an interview.
Interested in a similar pathway that Sanji took? Don’t worry, we can help! Reach out to us to see what programs and resources we have to help you with your job search no matter the age. Email info@jobs4lancaster.com to get started.