Photo By Taylor Mayberry | 241119-A-VP464-1001 CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. Lillian Otstott, a Letterkenny Army Depot...... read more read more
CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. – Understanding that the future of the workforce is in our current high school and college students within Franklin County and surrounding areas, the Letterkenny Army Depot Skills Development Office has been working to reinvigorate three vital student programs.
“We have two main goals with our LEAD student programs,” said Jennifer Coccagna, LEAD SDO strategic integrator. “We want to give the students the opportunity to apply the skills they’ve learned in the classroom to real-world projects and problems, which will help them grow personally and professionally.
“Additionally, we want to start to build a pipeline to create LEAD’s future workforce of skilled talent.”
The three programs LEAD offers to students are the internship program, the co-op learning experience program and the job shadowing program.
The internship program provides college students with the opportunity to enhance the skills they’ve learned in the classroom by allowing them to work with a mentor in their field of study for a summer. Students get hands-on experience working in teams, problem-solving, and communicating with coworkers from a variety of different disciplines. LEAD’s interns choose and complete a project tied to the depot’s modernization initiatives during their internship period. At the end of the summer, they present their project at the LEAD forum, which is a science fair style event attended by depot leadership.
Lillian Otstott, a junior at Shippensburg University, is a current intern and works as a LEAD Resource Management financial management clerk. Otstott started in February 2024 and continues to work part time during her school year.
“This is a great place to work if you want to see what you’re learning in the classroom and how it is used in real life,” said Otstott. “I would say everyone at LEAD is super welcoming and very supportive of your success, they want to see you learn and they provide you the tools to excel.”
The co-op learning experience program allows students (high school and college) in qualified trades programs the opportunity to apply their skills to complex projects and problems at the depot. Co-op students are given a mentor and are fully immersed in the work of their trade for the duration of their co-op period.
Jakob Stropas, a May 2024 graduate of FCCTC’s mechatronics program, is currently in the co-op learning experience program and works as Directorate of Strategic Management electronic measurement equipment mechanic helper. Stropas started in September 2024.
“I like that I am getting to learn a lot of new things in the maintenance career field and outside of that field as well,” said Stropas. “I am also getting to use everything I learned through classroom education to solve difficult and complex problems.
“I would tell anyone considering a co-op position that there is a lot to learn and a lot of training that comes with a government job. However, if you enjoy what you signed up for you will get the full experience and will like working here, just as I do.”
The job shadowing program allows students (high school and college) interested in a variety of professions or trades the opportunity to come to the depot for a day to learn more about what their field of study could look like as a career at the depot. This program was piloted with engineering technology students from Franklin County Career and Technology Center in the fall of 2024 and will be expanded to a variety of professions and trades in the spring of 2025.
“Job shadowing is important to career development by allowing students a firsthand look into specific careers,” said Kathy Estep FCCTC workforce development coordinator. “It also provides an opportunity to learn about career possibilities within organizations while learning about the company's culture at the same time.
“Students are able to make connections for careers within the community they live through these job shadowing experiences at Letterkenny Army Depot.”
Estep went on to say how excited she is about the LEAD SDO revitalization of these student programs.
“LEAD is a workforce partner of FCCTC which is valuable to the education of Career Tech students and to the future workforce of LEAD,” said Estep. “Through diligence and teamwork, we are revitalizing the opportunities for students to continue their education in their chosen program of study at LEAD.”
For more information about any of the student programs mentioned, contact the LEAD SDO at usarmy.letterkenny.usamc.list.cmd-depot-training-office@army.mil or by calling 717-267-5108.
| Date Taken: | 11.22.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.22.2024 11:12 |
| Story ID: | 485940 |
| Location: | CHAMBERSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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