Mercy Home’s young men and women once again had the opportunity to put their professional skills to the test at the annual Job Skills Workshop on Saturday, February 29.
This workshop is sponsored by Mercy Home’s Leader Council, our board of accomplished professional women who advocate on behalf of our boys and girls to unlock their academic potential and break the cycle of abuse, neglect, and poverty.
The Job Skills Workshop is the traditional kickoff to the summer internship season, in which many of our kids participate. We were thrilled to welcome dozens of board members and other volunteers to our Home to help our kids practice and prepare for all aspects of getting and keeping a job, including job applications, on-the-job basics and professional skills, and rehearsed through mock interviews.
To ensure they were ready to put their best foot forward, our young people spent the fall and early winter months preparing with our Career Resources team to practice the job skills they learned throughout the year.
Thanks Marius Ronge and his company The Gibb River Group’s generous donation, our kids were also able to get new professional clothing to look and feel their best not just at the job workshop, but also at future job interviews, internship, and jobs.
The workshop began with two skits from our volunteers that demonstrated both good and bad interviews. The kids then split up into four groups and traveled between stations to practice skills one-on-one with volunteers. Our Education and Career Resources team and volunteers did their best to mimic a professional setting as closely as possible to make sure that our kids the best practice possible.
To conclude the day, everyone enjoyed a delicious meal donated by Billy Goat Tavern before awards were given out for best interviews, attire, and overall showing at the event.
Our Leader Council works hard to make sure this event is a success year after year. Leader Council member Katina Panagopoulos was integral in planning and running the event, as well as arranging for the delicious lunch from the Billy Goat Tavern.
Many volunteers donated their time and expertise to give our kids the opportunity to build and practice skills to be successful in their future careers.
