Employment Courses for Students at Risk

Jessica McGarry is just one of the employees for Michigan Works, who teaches all types of skills that have to do with helping students find employment. She is currently providing these employment courses to students at the Muskegon High School and is helping students, specifically those who are more at risk of dropping out, to solve different conflicts, set up their own resume, and basically start setting goals that they will eventually be able to accomplish. As a final exam for the course, the students did not have to take a test and instead, they had to put together a portfolio for themselves and then go on a pretend interview with one of the employees for Michigan Works. This helps them to get the practice they need to be able to have a successful interview in the future.

The course provided by McGarry and the Michigan Works team is part of a specific program, the Jobs for America’s Graduates program, in which students get to learn the skills they will need to utilize in the workplace. Students who are at a higher risk of dropping out will be provided with the assistance and mentorship that they need to be guided along the way of making the right decisions, whether they decide to further their education by going to college or decide to enter the work force instead. Either way, with this course, they will be prepared for either option.

McGarry was sure to tell the students how they should and should not dress when going on a professional interview. She made sure the students knew they could not wear sandals or leggings, even though some of the students were not pleased. McGarry says leggings are out of the question because the buttocks should not be showing during an interview. McGarry also made it clear to the students that the single-handed most important part of an interview is actually being there on time. She wants the students to know that being late is not acceptable because in the real world, makeups are simply not allowed and if you miss an interview, you might not get another chance.

Along with receiving several pointers from McGarry, students also had the opportunity to watch different clips of interviews that went terribly wrong, which were taken from assorted movies and comedy skits. McGarry wanted to see if her students could identify the different types of mistakes that the person going for the interview had made. Aside from learning more about the appropriate way to go on an interview, McGarry has focused on teaching the students how to communicate and how to prepare their own resume. She has also helped many of the students gain confidence in their own abilities, as this is important for anyone who is entering the workforce.