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Once into gangs and drugs but now searching for a brighter future, 18-year-old Leonardo Martinez-Munoz got a firsthand look Wednesday at an industry deeply imbedded in his roots.
He was one of about 60 people in their late teens and early 20s who were participating in a job shadowing program — appropriate for Groundhog Day, eh? — arranged with eight local employers by Salt Lake County Youth EmployAbility Services (YES).
The venture took Martinez-Munoz to the Salt Lake City offices of Big-D Construction, and from there to University of Utah Research Park, where Big-Dis the general contractor overseeing work on the new Utah Museum of Natural Resources.
"This is some pretty cool info," he said of this exposure to an industry that "is in my bloodlines. My whole family has been construction workers, going back to my great-grandfather and grandfather."
The opportunities are there for Martinez-Munoz to follow in his forefathers' footsteps, said Big-D Vice President and tour leader Randy Price. He told a group of about two dozen YES participants that "construction is a great career," one in which jobs will be opening up as an aging work force retires.
The average age of construction workers is in the late 40s, Price said, and "not a lot of youth are entering the industry. … We want to encourage young people to explore it, give it a chance. The economy doesn't help them or us right now, but construction will come back. It always does."
Martinez-Munoz is coming back from a rough adolescence with the aid of the county YES program, which provides occupational and educational training to low-income young adults ages 16 to 21. It helps them with tuition and books for occupational training, tutoring and study-skill development, job search assistance and "mentoring from adults who care."
Referral to the program by a probation officer "changed my life," said Martinez-Munoz. "I got my GED degree through this and money to pay for classes so I can become a diesel mechanic. It brought me from one world to another."
That's the goal, said YES Program Manager Jude Schmid, noting that the federally supported job-shadowing venture opens eyes.
"This gives young people an opportunity to see what it's like on job sites, to talk to employers and employees, and to find out for real what it's like to work in that situation," she said. "It reinforces the idea that many options are out there and that these kids can access those opportunities."
Chances of doing so are enhanced greatly if young adults dress appropriately for job interviews. So before the group headed out on tours, YES Program leadership coordinator Melissa Brunisholz conducted a fashion show highlighting what to do and not do during a job search.
Martinez-Munoz was one of her models, dressed sharply in a black shirt with a black tie that he felt would impress an employer as a "professional look." Kristin Peterson, 21, of North Salt Lake, wore nice shoes, slacks and a conservative jacket, creating a look she was sure would inspire a potential boss to think "maybe this girl has an idea of what she's doing."
Putting together the right ensemble doesn't necessarily cost a fortune, added Lisa Mickelsen, 21, of Salt Lake City, noting her perfectly presentable outfit cost $19 at Deseret Industries. Peterson's did, too, including the fancy-looking shoes.
"You can find sales all over the place," advised Brunisholz, who had a few other suggestions, as well.
Lipstick, ladies? Keep it muted. Jewelry? Nothing gaudy. Footwear? "Never, ever, ever wear flipflops."
Opening doors
Along with Big-D Construction, seven other large employers welcomed participants in Salt Lake County's Youth EmployAbility Services' program to tour their sites Wednesday:
Westech Engineering • industrial processing equipment supplier
Utah Division of Youth Services • provides care and services to those under 18
Salt Lake Regional Medical Center • a 200-bed hospital
Intermountain Health Care • has 23 hospitals and 780 physicians
Medsource • pharmaceutical and diabetic products distributor
GE Health Care • surgical imaging equipment manufacturer
Utah Transit Authority • runs the light rail and bus systems