Gaining Experience for the Future: Traeton’s Story

Having your own money to save and spend is something every teenager desires. This was true for high school student and employU client, Traeton. A good student who is able to keep up with his schoolwork while helping his grandfather with lawn care at home, Traeton first began services with employU at the end of 2022. He successfully completed Work Readiness Training and a summer Career Camp. He then expressed interest in Work-Based Learning Experiences (WBLE) or on-the-job trainings (OJTs) to his employment specialist Leita.

Traeton began a work-based experience at Ziggy’s Haven Bird Rescue for 5 weeks. “Traeton did an excellent job learning to be an animal caretaker,” Leita tells us. His job duties included cleaning cages, providing fresh food and water, and socializing the birds. He found a favorite bird and adopted the bird at the end of his work experience using some of the money he had made while working there. The staff loved having him help at the rescue. One volunteer even made a short video praising the grandparents for doing such an excellent job raising him. She remarked how respectful he was, what a good worker he was, and how she preferred working with him.

For his next WBLE, Traeton requested Leita reach out to the Roller Barn in Inverness. Traeton loves roller skating and is very good at it! He has won awards in the past. The manager, Mr. Hal required Traeton to interview, provide a resume with references, read the company policies, and confirm he understood them. After the interview, the manager signed with employU as a partner and offered a WBLE to Traeton.

Traeton started at the front desk exchanging shoes for skates. Each week he was given the opportunity to learn other jobs including floor guard and DJ in the sound booth. So, what’s next for Traeton? He hopes to continue gaining even more job skills in different WBLEs. Leita is sure Traeton will succeed in his future endeavors stating, “Traeton is such a pleasure to work with and he has a great sense of humor. He is respectful, polite, and gives his best effort. His dedication and determination are inspiring.”

For more information on our Youth Services contact us using the form below or visit https://employu.org/transition-youth-program/