DVIDS – News – USAG Rheinland-Pfalz partners with Kaiserslautern High School Career Practicum to prepare students

Story by Cameron Hochheim, KHS student

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — Students at Kaiserslautern High School had the opportunity to attend an Army Community Service (ACS) Job Fair through the school’s Career Practicum program for 12th-grade students. The job fair, held Sept. 25 at the Kazabra Club on Vogelweh, allowed students to gain hands-on experience in a professional setting, practicing formal greetings, networking, and professional conversation for the first time.

The Career Practicum program is an experience-based class designed to help students develop the skills necessary to succeed in the professional world. Students create career documents, learn about workplace expectations, and, once ready, are assigned to real workplaces in the Kaiserslautern Military Community to gain workplace immersion in fields they are passionate about.

KHS had an excellent turnout. Of the 311 total jobseekers who attended, 61 were KHS students representing the Career Practicum program. Students were encouraged to introduce themselves to as many of the 86 employers and 37 company/command tables as possible while collecting information on each one. They also had the opportunity to distribute resumes they created in class, participate in mock interviews, and receive resume reviews from ACS staff.

Tearia Felton, supervisory HR specialist for DODEA Europe, attended the fair and said, “It was truly inspiring to see the students so engaged at the career fair! Their thoughtful questions, preparedness, and genuine enthusiasm when learning about career opportunities within DoDEA beyond the classroom—their energy and curiosity were truly refreshing!”

The job fair featured a wide range of employers, including U.S. Army Medical, Red Cross, Service Credit Union, U.S. Army Finance Center of Excellence, and Stars and Stripes, among others. Nelly Olson, Employment Readiness Program Manager for ACS, Family and Morale, Welfare & Recreation Division, praised the KHS Career Practicum students for their role in planning and preparing for the event.
“ACS could not have done it without the assistance from the KHS team,” Olson said. “The students attended the career fair armed with plenty of questions for employers to gain knowledge on job skill needs and educational requirements for future employment preparation. The participating employers thoroughly enjoyed engaging with the CP Class.”

Many students said they gained valuable practice in professional conversation and networking. Though the experience was more challenging than anticipated, they reported learning a lot about workplace professionalism. For more information about the Career Practicum program, contact Lindsay Arnold, KHS CP Coordinator, at lindsay.arnold@dodea.edu or DSN: 324-483-6420 / CIV: +49 (0)6317-106-6420.