Springfield Chamber Hosts Springfield Public Schools Students for Mock Interviews
Springfield Public Schools summer jobs program brought 25 high school students to the Springfield Chamber Depot Thursday, August 10th, to participate in mock interviews. The program was organized by Garrett Davidson, Program Coordinator of Springfield Public Schools Summer Jobs Program, in conjunction with the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.
A total of 17 business leaders from the Springfield Chamber volunteered during the mock interviews. Volunteers represented a wide range of industry sectors including construction, manufacturing, economic development, journalism, banking, healthcare, parks and recreation, nonprofits, marketing, and more. They provided each student with multiple opportunities to practice real job interview skills with an employer.
“Most of these kids haven’t had this kind of experience. This is giving these students meaningful job skills so that they can know what they can do, even if they don’t know what they want to do. The reality is: they learn the skills, and they learn what they like, and they learn that they can adjust.”
– Hai Nguyen, Administrator, Springfield Public Schools Summer Jobs Program
By all accounts, the program was incredibly successful. Two long tables were set up in the Chamber’s freight room, and students were matched with volunteer interviewers for 20-minute sessions before being reassigned to a new volunteer. The students received invaluable information and feedback about presentation, process, and maintaining a comfort level despite nervousness or anxiety.
“There’s a couple kids here that, literally, I would hire right away,” said Ethan Holub of Belfor Property Restoration. “This is such good practice. I could see that this is a great tool for a lot of these kids; it’s probably going to make a huge difference in them having the confidence to sit down and do this for real.”
Mock interviews present real-life situations with real community leaders for the benefit of students, yet many of the volunteer interviewers in this program left the Chamber with a sense that, in addition to meeting some of the next generation of workforce, they had also learned a few things from the students in the program.
“I’m going to recommend the next opportunity to some of my supervisors that do a lot of interviews,” said Ryan Taxara of Willamalane Park & Recreation District. “This is good practice for us, too. And the kids did really well. There were even a couple that – I gave them my card. It’s great to be able tap into some of our future employees.”
About #WorkReady
The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce #WorkReady initiative is a collaborative effort led by business and economic development leaders in Springfield, aimed at revitalizing the local economy, enhancing career-based learning opportunities, and cultivating a well-trained workforce. The initiative aims to achieve these goals through targeted investments and collaborative partnerships that create a strong workforce development system, contributing to business growth, talent attraction, and retention. #WorkReady is committed to building a robust education and workforce development ecosystem, recognizing its significance in driving economic prosperity.
