Tesh Summer Employment gives teens a taste of the workforce
<p>Olivia Bueser carefully cuts the tape off a box containing educational science materials for elementary school classrooms. Bueser is a participant in the TESH Youth Summer Employment Program.</p>
<p>From left, Olivia Bueser, Jackie Hinkelmann and Taylor Winant listen to directions given by Job Coach Laura Harvey on Thursday at the Coeur d'Alene School District's book repository.</p>
<p>As part of the TESH Summer Youth Employment Program, Patrick Bronson and Ryan Keller, both 17, organize boxes on Thursday full of educational science materials to be used in the upcoming school year.</p>
COEUR d’ALENE — Ryan Keller and Patrick Bronson worked together to open a cardboard box full of textbooks Thursday morning.
The 17-year-olds didn't know each other before participating in Tesh, Inc.'s Summer Youth Employment program, but by the end of the week they were coworkers and great contributors to the synergy of their team.
"It's good," said Ryan, an incoming Post Falls High School senior. "It helps us get ready for the job future and know what we want to do and ideas for when we grow up."
"I’m better with time flexibility from one task to the next," said Patrick, who goes to Lakeland High School. "I’m always here early."
Patrick and Ryan were two of six teens who unpacked and organized school textbooks Thursday in the book depository by Lakes Magnet Middle School. The Summer Youth Employment program was created to give youths with disabilities soft skills training and real-world work experience before they graduate.
The program is split into two three-week sessions that began in June. The participants worked in rotations, dividing their time between working at the book depository or North 40 or doing custodial work or helping prepare school electronics for the upcoming year.
"I learned to cut boxes, I learned how to barcode and sweep," said Olivia Bueser, of Rathdrum. "It feels good. I like working, earn some money. I like the job training, it's been fun."
For many of these 31 young people, it was their first time experiencing official employment. Ryan said his experience helped him understand what it's like "to work an actual job with an actual boss."
"I’ve mowed lawns but I’ve never had an actual job," he said. "I got into an interview once."
Tesh CEO Frances Huffman said the program was funded by a grant the nonprofit received through the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act through Vocational Rehab.
"WIOA said, ‘VR, you need to spend more money on PETS — Pre Employment Transition Services — and that is for in-school youth," she said. "In other words, you need to get them started on some job skills so that when they graduate it’s a seamless (transition) into the workforce as opposed to flopping for a while and not knowing."
She said those who qualified for the program can have any kind of disability, from asthma to autism, as long as they had their medical papers.
Jackie Pannell said it was a great experience for her son, William, who was in the first rotation of the program.
"It was a huge confidence builder for him," she said. "Just like anyone else, he was nervous the first day, but when I would pick him up he would jabber all the way home.
"This has been a lot of peace of mind for us. Now he knows what it's like to go to work in the morning and take your lunch break and do what you're told. Of course, he really likes the paychecks," she said with a chuckle. "That's really helped with the early mornings."