Summer jobs are another good way for teens to earn money to pay for library fines; or back to school shopping, but when the summer ends and those teens do go back to school, it can leave businesses in need of workers.
Reporter Jay Korff has details on some Maryland pools that are hiring hard workers to fill in, when the teens head back to class.
Summer pool pkg:
If there's something you can count on as the summer season winds down...
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It's that workers are in short supply at neighborhood pools.
If they aren't on vacation they're heading off to college.
Scott Vincent, RSV pools owner
"hiring lifeguards is definitely a difficult process."
To solve this problem RSV pools owner Scott Vincent ...
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Partnered with Tom Liniak to create an innovative,
Tom Liniak, JSSA
"the results are overwhelming positive."
First of its kind program involving teenagers on the autism spectrum.
...is a prime example of how this program is succeeding.
Nasir Abdur-Rahim, 18-year-old
"it takes a lot of work but it pays off really great."
Nasir, and 15 other students with special needs, work as gate guards for RSV managed pools in Maryland...
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Checking patron's passes.
Nasir Abdur-Rahim, 18-year-old
It's teaching you how to do things in the real world: communicate with others, self-advocate if you need the help and also learning a lot of new things, making new friends."
Jessa, a Montgomery county based non-profit that finds employment for people with special needs, spearheaded this overwhelming successful program.
Madison Pizer, RSV pools
"it's good for the company because we have people we can rely on."
Madison Pizer with RSV pools hired the gate guards who, after extensive training, have far and away outperformed their counterparts.
Madison Pizer, RSV pools
"16. 16 students working for us and I can tell you, not a complaint. Always on time. Always in uniform. Super happy to be there."
In fact, this product has done so well that RSV pools hopes to double the number of hires next summer.
But for Pizer this is about more than positive employee evaluations.
Her younger brother mason is on the spectrum.
"for my family it was terrifying to think that mason might not be able to be on his own."
Last summer Pizer arranged for mason to work as a gate guard.
He performed beyond expectations.
Madison Pizer, RSV pools
"for me, mason can do this. He's going to be okay. He can have a job. He can have a life of his own. Just because he has autism it's not going to limit him."
Instructional Links
Website Article: KidsHealth, Kids with Special Needs | Explains what it is like to be a child with special needs.
Website Article: Friendship Circle. Explaining Special Needs To Your Child: 15 Great Children’s Book | Book suggestions to learn more about special needs