Rabobank Arena, Theater and Convention Center Holds Job Shadowing Program

On May 15, Mechanics Bank Arena Theater & Convention Center held its first-ever Job Shadowing Program, inviting five high-performing students from Bakersfield High to tour the facility and learn about careers in the sports and entertainment industry.
 
Bakersfield High is a close neighbor of Mechanics Bank’s – the school even holds proms and formals at the Convention Center – lending the students a strong familiarity with the venue rarely seen in our company-wide Job Shadowing Programs, established in 2011 to create a supplemental educational opportunity for high school students.
   
In this case, the five selected students (two boys and three girls – all juniors and seniors) were identified by their high school using objective criteria such as GPA and teacher referrals.
“These students already know they are going to college,” Global Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator Kasadi Yeung said. “So they’re more interested in how they could get there.”
To that end, the roughly six-hour program consisted of three primary components: interviews with AEG staff to help students practice interview skills, a tour to give them access to knowledge unavailable to the general public, and a closing ceremony to distribute Certificates of Completion, in addition to skating rink passes and tickets to an upcoming hockey game.
There was also an hour-long Q&A session with staff members, including General Manager Jon Dorman, Assistant General Manger Edward Dorsey, Box Office Manager Stacy Olsen, Sales & Suite Manager Sam Williams, Operations Director Adam Miller, Operations Manager Anthony Martinez, Ice Center Director Scott Hay, Finance Manager Jessica Chaidez, and Director of Safety, Security, and Guest Services Manuel Avila  –all of whom gave the students a seriously holistic view of the venue. 
“We had kids ask about schooling and college degrees, but they all in all they just seemed interested in the facility and AEG as a whole, asking various questions about everything from the dressing rooms to the hockey team and the Zamboni,” Executive Assistant / HR Designee Ariel Roberts said.
 
Due to the success of the event and the student’s interest, Mechanics Bank plans on holding more Job Shadowing Programs in the future, with the next one likely featuring two or three schools instead.
​​
In July, there will be an LA-based Job Shadowing Program, and AEG CONNECT will be behind the scenes to tell you more about the company’s educational outreach efforts.