Camp imparts job skills to middle school students | Palatka Daily News, Palatka, Florida

Seventh and eighth grade students who participated in a four-day Jobs for Florida Graduates camp at Jenkins Middle School hold the certificates they earned Friday, which was the last day.
During a Jobs for Florida Graduates camp Friday, Becci Motes gives middle school students professionalism tips to use when looking for a job.
Positively Putnam FL

The walls of Michele Parnell’s classroom have professional dress fastened to a portion and are covered with paper detailing job interview and workplace etiquette tips.

Jenkins Middle School’s four-day career camp ended Friday, with seventh and eighth graders receiving knowledge about colleges and how to succeed in the workforce after high school.

The camp had three guest speakers, including a life coach, a retail manager and a professional etiquette and fashion consultant. Up to 40 students were nominated by teachers to attend the camp.

Parnell and Becci Motes, the Jobs for Florida Graduates district coordinator and graduation coach, led the camp during its final day.

Motes said students learned a bounty of information on topics such as self-awareness, setting goals, confidence and the specifics of color-coordinating a job interview outfit. Students presented instructors with a recap of what they learned on Friday.

“In the (interview dress) project, they did an outstanding job. They were putting the colors together and made great outfits from the clothes we had,” Motes said. “I was really excited about what they got from that.”

Parnell is in her first year as a Jobs for Florida Graduates teacher. She said the students had a positive experience.

“A lot of them weren’t sure why they needed to know this now, but now they have all the puzzle pieces put together,” Parnell said. “I’m super proud of them. I know they’re going to take all that they learned and be the leaders they are and share that knowledge as well.”

Seventh grader Elizabeth Cameron first asked why she needed to know career tips five years before she graduated high school, but she said she quickly grasped the importance of the information. She called the class interactive and fun with its emphasis on self-confidence and financial literacy.

“We learned about integrity and how to be doing the right thing even when nobody’s looking,” Cameron said.

Eighth grade brothers Luis and Jose Ayala felt the camp gave them an advantage with completing college applications and résumés. The camp taught them how to be community-minded and develop into leaders, Luis Ayala said.

“You learn about what you want to be when you grow up and what path you’re going to take,” Luis Ayala said. “I like that they teach you about life after college.”

Seventh grader Tre Givens said the camp helps students plan what they want to do when school is over. A key feature Givens learned was behaving professionally in the workplace.

“They taught you how to believe in yourself, how to be confident and not to give up,” Givens said.

Jobs for Florida Graduates is in eight district schools. It will continue when the Putnam County School District transitions seventh and eighth graders to junior-senior high schools.