“I was really surprised when the people at the South County Career Center (SCCC) gave me an award,” stated San Diego Job Corps Office Administration student Denise LeBaron. “My Job Corps Work-Based Learning assignment is working in their research lab, but I also work at the reception desk. I enjoy working with our clients who are going through a difficult time in their lives. I’m using the skills I learned at Job Corps to help people prepare their resumes, improve their computer skills, and learn how to navigate the internet to look for jobs.”

The South County Career Center, located on Bey Boulevard in Chula Vista, is one of 12 Career Centers funded by the San Diego Workforce Partnership, a non-profit organization, and is operated by the ResCare Corporation. “Our goal is to provide individuals the guidance and resources necessary to achieve employment success,” advised SCCC’s Office Manager Esther Rengifo-Knoll. “We also strive to deliver quality workforce services to our employers.” Over 41,000 people visited SCCC last year to utilize the free services they offer. “We have a number of community and business partners which enable us to provide workshops and vocational training to assist our clients in finding jobs,” Ms. Rengifo-Knoll stated. “We pride ourselves on our customer service, and certainly Denise has provided excellent service while interning here.”

After interning at SDCC for only a month, Denise was nominated by her peers for Employee of the Month, even though she is not an employee. “Denise doesn’t just help our customers in the research lab,” wrote one employee. “She goes ABOVE and BEYOND to assist.” Another employee cited Denise’s “enthusiasm and professionalism”, and how clients requested her assistance, and then offered positive feedback about her work. “There have been times when she is not scheduled in the lab and I see clients looking and asking for her,” the employee wrote. “She is a great asset to SCCC.”

“Denise is the second student we placed at the SCCC and we’re pleased with the performance of both students,” advised Venissa Candelaria, one of San Diego Job Corps’ Work-Based Learning coordinators. “Our Work-Based Learning program affords our students the opportunity to gain work experience while still enrolled at Job Corps. We have a number of students involved in the program, and we certainly welcome employers who would offer an internship to a student. Our students certainly benefit from this real-life work experience, and we hope their internship will lead to full-time employment with the company.”

“I would enjoy working here at SCCC full-time when I graduate from Job Corps this year,” Denise stated. “I also plan on enrolling in college and perhaps work as an adolescent counselor in the mental field in the future. I get a lot of satisfaction from helping people, and that’s one of the reasons I’ve enjoyed working here.”