The program is currently focused on job categories with high demand due to the pandemic and the hiring shortage.
During the program, participants practice transferable job skills that can apply to many different places and types of work. At Rosewood, they are working with inventory - sorting, categorizing and learning organization systems. Currently, the participants are focusing on props, costumes, materials and supplies from Rosewood’s theater classes and camps, as well as the Kettering Children’s Theatre program. It’s a big job – these items have accumulated for about 30 years.
URS staff leadership Jessica Figuera and EJ Loewer have assisted with transporting participants to the job site at Rosewood and overseeing the activities during each shift. The core URS participants at Rosewood are Jimmy Howard, Margaret Lafayette and Kevin Richardson. These participants also work at the Elks Lodge in Dayton and at the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery each week.
“The URS Academy is a tremendous asset to Rosewood as we prepare for our theater renovation,” said Kettering’s Cultural Arts Division Manager Shayna McConville. “Kevin, Margaret and Jimmy have spent hours working on inventory systems and always are a pleasure to work with!”