Students experience the world
through job shadowing program
LIMESTONE — The groundhog saw his shadow and even though it seems sad to say “six more weeks of winter” at the Loring Job Corps Center, the students look forward to Groundhog Day for other reasons.
Between Feb. 3-7, students from the Loring Job Corps had the opportunity to go into the local community and shadow at local businesses and organizations. The students shadowed vocational areas ranging from automotive repair to what it takes to operate a news studio.
This year, over 20 students were out in the workforce gaining hands-on knowledge of what it takes to be successful in today’s workforce. At every location, students were greeted by the business community with smiles and an eagerness to share their knowledge. The students who shadowed would like to thank everyone for the time and dedication shown by the community in allowing them the opportunity to not just watch but also work side by side with their employees.
Antonio Correia, an automotive student at Loring, said while shadowing at Caldwell’s Auto in Limestone that he was so impressed by Robbie Caldwell and the crew in how they allowed him to jump in and work side by side with everyone in the garage, “and the fact that they told me that I did a great job really made my day and enhanced my confidence in gaining an education in the automotive field.”
Michael Hareter shadowed at the café at Northern Maine Community College and was shocked when food services director at NMCC Rob Ottaviano told him to get one of the chef jackets and hat and “Let’s see what you got.” Michael was in “food heaven” as he said, adding, “They let me cook for hundreds and showed me that I can even do stir fry!”
The event allowed students to not only learn from the shadow locations, it also gave the students the opportunity to show the local community what they have already learned in their respective trades. The students at the Loring Job Corps Center would like to once again thank the following locations for giving up their time in making this Ground Hog Shadow event a memorable one: Caribou Public Library, Northern Maine Community College, Caldwells Auto, Cote Auto, Caribou Public Works Dept., WAGM TV, AlBear’s Pizza, the office of Sen. Susan Collins, Congressman Michael Michaud’s office, Sen. Angus King’s office, Hogan Tire and the Maine Military Authority.
