PAISD takes fresh approach to filling the workforce

As companies across the country struggle to fill their workforce, Port Arthur ISD has taken a new route to fill the needs at their campuses, as well as the gaps in workforce in the community. Taking an innovative approach, PAISD reports hiring several Career and Technical Education Campus Culinary Arts students to work the Summer School program that recently wrapped up in the district.

“While most teachers take a well-deserved break,” the district reported, the tried-and-true summer school crew, assisted by the fresh faces of stellar students, worked to catch students up and prepare them for the next grade. PASID Director of Children Nutrition Robin Rhodes was ecstatic about hiring the students.

“This is a great opportunity for these students, many of which, this is their first job,” said Rhodes. “It’s hard to fill our summer nutrition positions because it’s just about a month long, but these students are doing a great job, and we believe this will be a fantastic introduction to the workforce for them.”

Memorial High School senior culinary arts students Temini Menor and Edwin Ayundis were shown their way around the kitchen, and got right to making pizza for the students’ first day of summer school.

“It’s really not that hard, and they have been helping us,” Menor said in reference to the more seasoned child nutrition workers. Menor and Ayundis are among approximately a dozen summer school student hires.

“This is a great opportunity to build my resume and use the skills I learn in other places,” said Ayundis. “We already learned a lot of this in the classroom.”

As the students went about their day, prepping and cleaning, it was evident that they had found the perfect fit for a first job in an environment naturally conducive with learning and advancing their skills. Summer school wrapped up June 29, allowing student workers to put away their aprons and a little extra cash as they head into what’s left of summer break