Human Resources Buddy Program

Conquering the darkness

Making his way across the University of Minnesota’s Northrop Mall with a white cane, eyes covered by night shades and wearing a flower in his hair, 12-year-old Ian Moon of Apple Valley, Minn., and his friends — 10 blind or visually impaired kids — drew smiles and stares from students on their way to class and work.

“I can kind of see but I have a tendency to run into poles,” Ian said matter-of-factly.

Middle school students from around the country are in the middle of a three-week summer program that has them sleeping in Comstock Hall  and riding the city bus to Blind,Inc., where they take classes in cooking, Braille, “cane-travel” and computers.

On the way to the bus last week, Patrick Barrett, one of the group’s chaperones, also blind, blasted his whistle four times over the sound of power drilling nearby, signaling that there was an “issue” — the need for an immediate head count of the 10 participants.

“That whistle kind of sounds like a bird,” one participant, 9-year-old Brandon Pickle, responded.

Barrett shouted above the din of construction: “We’re losing people left and right — literally.” After a quick count, chattering resumed and the phalanx mobilized once more.

The purpose of The Buddy Program, Blind Inc.’s camp for kids ages 9 to 13, is to teach blind and partially-sighted youth to have fun and be independent without using their sight. During the program, partially-sighted youth wear night shades so they can fully immerse themselves in the training.

Staying away from home on a college campus adds challenges and extra learning opportunities like doing laundry, dealing with construction detours and navigating unfamiliar places.

“Whether you’re sighted or blind, you have to problem solve,” said Charlene Guggisberg, director of the Buddy program.

Fighting doubts

Ten-year-old Anna Walker, a Buddy Program participant from Pennsylvania, said well-intentioned bus passengers have asked elderly people to give up their seats for her when they saw she was blind.

“I don’t really like it when people try to do things for me,” she said. “I like to do things by myself.”

Other participants must prove wrong the doubts and fears strangers have about their safety and competence in the “real world.”

Muzamil Yahya, a counselor for the Buddy Program who teaches cane travel, graduated from Blind Inc.’s adult program in 2009 then came back to teach.

What is a Graduate Development Program

Your development means everything to us because you are the future of WorleyParsons.

WorleyParsons will help you shape the next vital phases in your career development and guide you to your ultimate objectives.  That’s why we’ve developed a truly innovative and dynamic Graduate Development Programme (GDP) that’s been expertly structured to provide you with the maximum breadth and depth of engineering experience during your first three years in the workforce.

The collective voice of our graduates, supported by the collective insights of our top professionals. GDOs are established by graduates themselves and allows them to pool their resources – and ours – as they manage their careers.

The purpose of these organizations is to support graduate development and work with management to ensure the Graduate Development Programme continues to be a success.  The GDOs also bring networking opportunities to our graduates, facilitates the coordination of mentors and rotations, and ensure that the commitments made to GDP participants are fulfilled.

A Graduate Advisory Board which comprises members of upper management and Human Resources, acts as an advisory team to the GDO and is ready and waiting to support initiatives and schemes developed by you and your fellow graduates. GDO representatives meet with the Graduate Advisory Board regularly to report on progress and gain feedback.

You’ll never feel you’re in unchartered territory, with your own personal guides at your side.

Starting at a new company can be a daunting process, so new graduates are assigned a Mentor who will help to set your career course and provide guidance to ensure chartered status is gained. Your assigned Mentor will be a senior engineer who will assist you in all key areas of your early development. Mentoring helps graduates acquire skills, raise their profile in the company, increase their confidence, provide career advice, and enhance their understanding of the business.

The Buddy programme is also used to help you integrate into the company by giving you a point of contact who isn’t a Manager or Mentor, but rather a fellow, more experienced graduate.  Your Buddy will be available to give advice and tips during the early period of employment to help you learn about your role, the company, and the Graduate Development Programme.

Human resources jumpstart

Next Generation Human Resources, Driving Organizational Excellence

Knowledge Management in Emerging Economies, Social, Organizational and Cultural Implementation

Australian master human resources guide 2010

Poverty & human resources