By Jessica Garcia
Finding work was a challenge after Emme Alden dropped out of high school as a junior. She had a family to support and she worried about finding an occupation that would be sustainable, let alone enjoyable. But she knew at least one of her passions at the time.
“…I wanted to work with animals,” Alden said. “It didn’t matter what I was doing as long as it was with animals.”
A friend put her in touch with Northern Nevada Literacy Council’s Learn and Earn program and with time and some finesse with her job skills, Alden went from working in the fast food industry to helping with dogs at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Reno, where she became a star employee.
“There are people in the program who are really special, who come from such adversity, who build and make such a way in the world,” Pamela Standridge, program manager, said of Alden and students like her. “They just persevere. They are all my heroes.”
Learn and Earn provides on-the-job training for young adults through the age of 24. For standard students, enrolling in a three-month program provides them an opportunity to acquire basic career skills, from learning how to dress for an interview to communicating well with their managers once they’re employed. Through the program, students receive personal assistance choosing interview clothes from local community closets and are mentored in securing a job because most come from low-income backgrounds or other difficult circumstances.
“It’s all about removing barriers to success,” Standridge said.
Alden said she found it difficult to get her foot in the door anywhere. She credited Standridge for the confidence she has today and her overall satisfaction in the job market.
“Pamela really helped by pushing me to finish getting my GED, which made me feel really great, and afterwards, she helped me get a job. Not just any job, though – a job that I actually wanted to work at.”
Standridge said her determination to work with animals made her an ideal candidate for Learn and Earn, and together they were able to come up with solutions for transportation and training.
“I’m so happy that I joined the Learn and Earn program,” Alden said. “I feel like if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today or have the experience I have.”
