11 Oct Fleet Response Prepares Local High School Students for Professional Success

As an organization, we pride ourselves on our partnerships within our local community. Our most recent partnership with Saint Martin De Porres High School provides us the opportunity to invest in the development of a diverse workforce and in the future of high school students through their Corporate Work Study program.

Saint Martin is part of the National Cristo Rey Network, a collection of 38 schools across 24 states, focused on college preparation and career readiness. The Network started in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago in the year 2000 with the goal of establishing a funding mechanism for students with limited economic means to pay for a private Catholic education.

As a member of the National Cristo Rey Network, Saint Martin partners with local organizations to expose students to career and post-graduation pathways, engages them with adult professionals and empowers them with the skills of confidence, passion, and faith to achieve life-long success. Partnering organizations are among several industries including human resources, customer service, office management, IT, sales, education, medical, and more.

Every student at Saint Martin participates in the corporate work study program from the time they come in as freshman to the time they finish their senior year. Currently, about 400 Saint Martin students are working at several organizations throughout Northeast Ohio. Fleet Response is one of the 120 local companies to participate in the work study program.  To see the full list of organizations involved in this program, click here.

Students work one day per week, accumulating 1,600 hours of work experience by the time they graduate. With the program, students earn nearly 40% of the cost of their education.

“We are impacting a diverse group of students who may not have the opportunities to receive hands-on experience in a professional work environment,” said Roger Cervenka, VP of Client Services and Executive Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. “Our goal is to prepare these students for their future career opportunities and equip them with skills that will contribute to their success,” he went on to say.

This program exemplifies what our Fleet Response Diversity and Inclusion Committee stands for by providing a greater sense of community as everyone in our organization plays a role in the student’s experience and professional growth.

When asked about their first impressions of the company, one of the students said, “It seems to be a warm and comfortable environment with very welcoming people.”

While it’s the first year for Fleet Response to be involved in the Corporate Work Study program, executives say that they so far have been impressed and inspired by their new colleagues.

We are excited for these students to gain job experience and realize the relevance of their education while providing real services to our clients.