STOCKTON, California — Outside the San Joaquin County Office of Education headquarters near the Stockton Airport, one 21-year old man is getting life changing experience selling one-of-a-kind crafts.
Louie Amado Garcia is part of the San Joaquin County Office of Education's Business Holiday Boutique. Middle and high school students and young adults create works of art and then sell them to the public.
"The most today that I enjoy about is selling the pine cones today," Garcia said.
The students and young adults representing school districts throughout San Joaquin County, sell their crafts and décor which in turn teaches them important job skills.
"And what they're doing here is getting job experience so they can get their own jobs and lead an independent lifestyle," said Margaret Heinz, Special Education Instructor with the Lincoln Unified School District.
Through the San Joaquin County 's Office of Education Workability program, students get jobs at stores like Safeway or TJ Maxx to stock shelves, for example, while getting paid by grant money funded by the state department of education.
"Their other employees are able to work with these students who come in and they're training these students how to do their work tasks which in turn makes them a better employee," Frank Souza, the San Joaquin County Office of Education, Workability program manager.
As for Garcia, his big dream is to be a cartographer or map maker. No doubt, he's already mapping out his future today.
"I like to read maps and give map directions," said Garcia.
The San Joaquin County Office of Education says once the pandemic hit, it became much more difficult to get their special education students into stores. They are now hoping more employers will be open to taking the students on board.
