Think about your personal career path. Has it been winding or direct? When did you know what you wanted to do? Was it the result of a specific person, event or experience in your life?
For Melissa Garcia, a Human Resources Leader with Parker’s Veriflo Division, there’s simply no substitute for real, hands-on experience.
Melissa’s daughter went through a vocational program called Pima JTED (Joint Technical Education District) when she was a high school student in Tucson, Arizona. Her daughter credits the program with giving her a strong sense of what she liked and didn’t like. Seeing the opportunities the programed offered, Garcia realized her own early educational experiences had been incomplete.
“As I started to look at the offerings, I learned they now have an entire manufacturing piece that was missing when I was in school,” explains Garcia. “And then I recognized the opportunity we have, as Parker, to give these kids real world experience.”
Garcia began thinking about what kind of internship experience her team could provide to students in her community. Veriflo provides high quality gas and fluid control solutions. The division manufactures valves and fittings with teams of engineers, quality and production experts, machinists, mold operators and assemblers. They decided on a CNC machining internship and Garcia approached it from an HR perspective, coordinating with team members and production staff to get everyone onboard.
“We had to check our insurance, sign releases and present the idea to the trainers and the staff out on the floor,” says Garcia. “But the reaction was incredible. Team members were genuinely excited to reinvigorate the industry, meet with young people and welcome them to the workforce.”
The team developed a training plan and timeline for a two-month, fully immersive internship and invited local 11th and 12th graders to apply. They selected two outstanding students, both juniors going into their senior year, who spent their summer days learning the trade at Parker.
By the end of their internship, both students expressed how much they valued their time at Parker. They were excited to share their experience with their classmates in the fall and both walked away with a real understanding of machining and manufacturing as a career path.
“The young woman who interned with us took the opportunity to shadow someone in the engineering department as well,” adds Garcia. “We were thrilled to learn that she couldn’t wait to come back. And Veriflo would be fortunate to have her.”
Parker is developing a pipeline of future talent…one engaged young person, one learned experience at a time. Garcia and her team are already exploring opportunities for expansion, from high school tours where Parker team members share their passion, to internship opportunities focused on engineering and supply chain. For purpose-driven Parker team members and the next generation of job candidates, it’s a win-win.
“Kids need jobs, experience, opportunities, someone to give them a chance,” summarizes Garcia. “And for Parker, it gives new purpose to the team. They’re proud of their industry and love the opportunity to share that expertise and bring awareness.”
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