By Holly DeCarlo-White
USAG Stuttgart Public Affairs Office
The U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart 2015 Summer Hire Program increased student placement this year with 17 positions, up from 12 in 2014. Though many applied, 17 lucky students were accepted, receiving the opportunity to obtain paid work experience throughout various garrison departments in the fields of labor or clerical administration.
“The program provides youth in our community an added opportunity to work in a real work environment within the government which can be applied anywhere,” said Richard Calnon, the USAG Stuttgart director of Human Resources.
The Civilian Human Resources Agency Europe Region accepted applications for the Summer Hire Program during spring from active duty service member and Defense Department civilian employee family members ages 14-22 with valid family member ID cards. The program runs for six weeks from the end of June through early August. College bound students are generally placed with priority.
Supervisors who oversee the students must have the appropriate background check in order to work with minors 17 and younger. The garrison is working to expand the number of approved supervisors to increase available job positions even more next year.
Once accepted to the program, students are held to the same standards as garrison employees. They are encouraged to voice their feedback, know workplace safety, and equal opportunity policies to better relate to one another. Students must be mindful of work schedules in their departments, maintaining a full 40 hour work week, track sick time, report and approve hours with a timekeeper, and submit status reports to supervisors as requested.
“The rules and regulations of the office are much like those in school, the difference is that as Summer Hires we had more freedom but with that freedom came more responsibility. For instance, for every task we were given, we were expected to carry it out by coming up with a plan on our own versus being told exactly what to do. While the help from our supervisors was always there, they treated us as normal employees and expected us to meet the standards they set. This mentality from our supervisors is one of the reasons I would recommend the program: it truly prepares you for a real job without the intensity a real job may place on those of us without any experience,” said college-bound Julia Lockridge.
“I recommend the Summer Hire Program,” said Emily Braa, a soon-to-be Stuttgart High School senior. “It helps in getting the experience you need to put on your resume and the experiences to expect in a work place. If I am still here in Stuttgart next year, I will most likely apply again. In getting experience you are also getting paid, which helps with tuition and other expenses for college/post high school life. What I have found though, is that the pay is irrelevant to experiences gained.”
View the USAG Stuttgart Summer Hire Program photo album on Flickr click here.
Throwback to the 1989 Summer Hire Program:
