Blaine Kalivas and Dylan Kalivas, brothers from New Jersey enrolled at the Muhlenberg Job Corps in September of 2012 to seek education, training and certification in the pharmacy technology career path.  Both students have taken full advantage of the work-based learning opportunities offered at the Muhlenberg Job Corps.  Work-based learning gives students the opportunity to learn a variety of skills by expanding the walls of classroom learning to include the community.  Students are able to learn basic workplace behavior, develop specific skills, and provide students with opportunities to apply academic and occupational skills in the workplace.  Through work-based learning strategies, students learn how to apply what they are learning in the classroom as they prepare to transition into the world of career opportunities.  Blaine and Dylan have done just that!  Blaine was recently hired to work in an unpaid position to prove his skills and work ethics to the management of Walgreens.   Blaine stated “the healthcare industry is something I have always been interested in.  The training I received at Job Corps has prepared me with the skills I needed to seamlessly transition from the classroom to a real workplace setting.  I started out working at Walgreens as an unpaid intern using the skills I learned in the Job Corps Pharmacy Tech program.”  Blaine was hired into a paid position after only a few weeks of internship. 

Blaine’s brother Dylan stated “before I came to Job Corps, I had no idea where my life was headed.   My mother was the one who told me about Job Corps and the first thing I said was there has to be a catch.”  A week later Dylan and Blaine enrolled into the Job Corps program.    Their lives have completely turned around in the last year and never have to worry about what their next step may be.  They both have set and accomplished goals and plan to take their next step to a higher level by attending Madisonville Community College.  They now have the confidence and skills to be a successful contribution to society.  Dylan went on to say “when I complete my training, the world will know me as Dylan Kalivas, PHT and that is something I can always be proud of.”