Photo By Staff Sgt. Austin Harvill | Jaylen Esposito, Summer Hire Program employee and of U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Justin...... read more read more
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AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy - The employees report to the Dragon Fitness Center on a muggy, early morning at Aviano Air Base, Italy. They receive their work for the day, hop in a golf cart and takeoff. They can’t waste any time since they must leave work on time today.
After all, they can’t keep their parents waiting to pick them up.
They are just three of the 31 teens working over the summer on base, thanks to the 31st Force Support Squadron’s Summer Hire Program. The 6-week program allows teens to earn a paycheck over the break, learn responsibility and aid the 31st Fighter Wing’s diverse mission.
“The impact the kids have on the workforce cannot be overstated,” said Amy Negron, 31 FSS human resources specialist and summer hire liaison. “Their help offsets the vacancies we have due to [permanent change of station]. Without them, a lot of necessary work, like file organization or customer assistance, wouldn’t receive the attention required for top performance.”
Additionally, Amy said their work has the potential to keep vacant civilian slots open.
“Our summer hire employees’ work hours go toward an office’s total work hours,” said Negron. “If an office doesn’t meet a certain number of hours in a year, even if there are job vacancies due to PCS, there is a chance the slots could be cut. The summer hire employees add to the overall total, which maintains our readiness throughout the year.”
The teens serve as more than just placeholders. From customer service to labor work, the teens certainly pull their weight, said Jen Brennan, 31 FSS human resources specialist. Tiana, daughter of Tech. Sgt. Adam Link, is a welcome addition to the workforce, said Brennan.
“Tiana is a great help with our organizational work,” said Brennan. “With her help, we have the time to tackle big projects we might have put off due to the workload.”
From Tiana’s perspective, summer hire is an eye-opening experience. Starting high school next year, she believes this job has already helped her come out of her shell.
“All of my [coworkers] treat me like an adult and make this a meaningful experience for me,” said Tiana.
After a long day of work, the 31 summer hire employees “punch out” and return home to their families. Whether maintaining a file cabinet or a baseball field, these teens have affected Team Aviano beyond their short tenure.
| Date Taken: | 07.21.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 07.24.2015 07:50 |
| Story ID: | 171013 |
| Location: | AVIANO AIR BASE, IT |
| Web Views: | 19 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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