Stewart’s Shops teamed up with the Junior Achievement of Northeastern New York last month to introduce 50 high school students to career opportunities in manufacturing, dairy, distribution and the convenience store industry.
Students from Galway and Schuylerville central schools participated in Junior Achievement’s Job Shadow Days program with the goal of exposing them to exciting careers.
“This is a great way to help students understand what work is all about,” said Stewart’s plant personnel manager Clayton Savage.
The Junior Achievement plant visit gave students a chance to talk directly with Stewart’s representatives about what it takes to keep the shelves stocked at 400 convenience stores throughout upstate New York, Vermont and New Hampshire. Students also spent time with the team that produces our award-winning milk and 4 million gallons of ice cream per year.
The formula for finding a career at Stewart’s, an employee- and family-owned company, requires curiosity, a great attitude and the ability to collaborate with your co-workers, Savage said.
The lessons you learn at our plant in Greenfield are the same lessons that could help students find success throughout their entire life, Savage added.
Junior Achievement of Northeastern New York works with students in kindergarten through 12th grade from 30 school districts throughout the Albany region.
“At Junior Achievement, we always look for opportunities to open students’ eyes while they are at an age when they are not quite ready to work,” said Joleen Hanlon.
Stewart’s employs approximately 6,000 people, including nearly 600 who work at the dairy plant and distribution center in Greenfield. Employment opportunities include everything from manufacturing, warehousing and transportation to finance, marketing, construction, accounting and graphic design.
“When we have opportunities to reach young students, maybe they will look back in a few years and think, ‘that was a pretty cool experience, maybe I will apply,’ ” Savage said.
