Smooth Career Path Ahead for KRA Customer – In December 2017, Darian enrolled in YouthWorks!—a career-development program for Out-of-School Youth and young adults (18-24)—operated by KRA for the Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation (AAWDC).
Adhering to the Maryland Workplace Excellence Program, co-developed by AAWDC, YouthWorks! combines career assessment and guidance with workplace-skills training to equip young jobseekers with resources that maximize their potential for long-term workforce success.
James LeBlanc, KRA Program Manager, reported, “Darian was the ideal candidate for Youthworks! During a Workplace Excellence Workshop, our Career Exploration Team discovered he was committed to a healthy lifestyle…vegetarian diet; daily exercise; and creating his own ‘health drinks’, combining fruits, herbs, vegetables, and vitamins.
Also, Routes to Employment equipped Darian with information on HITCH [Hospitality, IT, Transportation, Construction, Healthcare] careers, and through Work Experiences [WEX], he could work up to 200 wage-subsidized hours, providing employers the opportunity to decide whether to hire him permanently.”
Moreover, Darian’s 5 years’ experience in the fast-food segment of the Hospitality industry had prepared him well for dealing with the general public. Considering all the factors, it was clear to the Team and Darian, that he should focus his career efforts on the nutrition side of the Healthcare industry.
After investigating the Smoothie King franchise, YouthWorks! negotiated a WEX agreement with the owner of three local outlets, who assigned Darian to the 4am-11am shift at his Smoothie King – BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport. Despite the relative unpopularity of this shift, the owner was impressed with Darian’s attendance and performance, and after WEX, offered him a fulltime job, as well as placement on the company’s Management Track training program.
LeBlanc concluded, “Darian loves working at Smoothie King—so much so that his long-range career plans include returning to college for a business degree, becoming a Manager, and one day owning his own Smoothie King franchise. From what we’ve observed working with Darian, no doubt he will succeed!”