“Life is like the Rubik’s cube the students received – it’s full of twists and turns, but if you stay focused and keep trying, eventually you’ll get it right!,” — Stephanie Werley, Alternative Rehabilitation Communities (ARC)
On June 26, 2017 high school students from Alternative Rehabilitation Communities (ARC) joined employees at our Harrisburg call center for a behind-the-scenes look at Comcast. ARC provides services to youth in Dauphin County and the Harrisburg area, embracing a philosophy that “supports a home-like, community-based focus for (our) students.” The organization has been a pioneer in providing staff-secure programs to youth ages 11-19 and has served as a model for similar programs throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The event was hosted by two of Comcast’s employee resource groups: the Black Employee Network (BEN), committed to supporting Comcast’s African American employees through professional development, career management, mentoring, and networking and Unidos, whose mission is to attract, develop, retain, and promote Hispanic talent at Comcast.
The day started with an introduction to Comcast’s culture for the 60+ high school students, followed by a tour of the Call Center and Product Lab. The Comcast Recruitment Team then gave a presentation discussing tips for job interviews and critiqued students’ resumes. After a discussion on the importance of creating a personal brand, the day concluded with a leadership panel where leaders from the Call Center shared their personal and professional journeys and fielded questions from the students. The day was designed to provide the students from ARC with a jump start on their post-high school career search, with many students expressing strong interest in applying for positions at Comcast by the end of the day.
The most dynamic part of the visit was a panel of Comcast leaders who told their personal stories about their Comcast careers. The students were attentive, and the real-life stories encouraged them and reinforced that they, too, can be capable of overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles to become successful
“The event was imperative because ARC students’ greatest needs are to begin to think realistically about their futures and career plans. A few have some goals and aspirations, but the majority of our kids can’t even imagine five years into the future, what their lives will be like, or what they will be doing. This event helped broaden their horizons,” said ARC’s Stephanie Werley. “The experience opened their eyes to a world of possibilities! They saw an impressive building, met important people doing important jobs—people they could identify with.”
For more information about ARC and their mission to support youth click here, and for more information about Comcast’s employee resource groups click here.
