"CareerONE played a big role in helping me develop strong workplace skills and a sense of responsibility,” says Noelia, who enrolled in CareerONE when she was 16 and going to school at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School. 

She had recently arrived from Puerto Rico with her family and wasn’t confident in her English language skills – and she wasn’t sure what the future held for her. CareerONE changed that.

“It’s an awesome program it such a great opportunity at a young age...and they made me feel welcome so that was just a plus,” said Noelia. “CareerONE really tries to show there is more outside of high school. You want to finish high school, you want to continue to take the next steps to reach your career goals. I learned I had a lot of options. I decided at the time I could be a police officer or social worker or an FBI agent. We researched employment opportunities and what education we needed for them and how much they pay.”

Leading CareerForce Partner Career Solutions provides the CareerONE summer employability skills training program for teens ages 14-17 who live in Benton or Stearns counties. Every summer, hundreds of young people receive realistic and positive work readiness training in a safe, nurturing and learning-rich environment, which includes classroom lessons and hands-on experience. Teens can explore the fields of Health Care, Construction and Manufacturing, Early Childhood Education, Public Safety, or explore careers more generally, with the potential to earn college credits. CareerONE is free plus participants earn a stipend and receive transportation assistance and meals.

Noelia says she has always been a hard worker. Growing up in Puerto Rico, she started working when she was 7 years old selling chocolate bars to help her family bring in income because the economy was difficult. Noelia says that CareerONE emphasizes helping young people build confidence, be reliable, develop a strong work ethic. She says “CareerONE helped me become more confident in my opportunities.”

Noelia loved her summer at CareerONE so much that she came back the following summer as a youth mentor. She wanted to help other young people experience the growth in confidence that she experienced through CareerONE.

"I always want to help people, and I wanted to help boost the confidence of other young people who were learning English,” said Noelia.

CareerONE helped Noelia become confident enough to enroll in college classes at St. Cloud Technical & Community College while she was a senior in high school. She graduated from high school in 2020, earned her Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education in 2022 and went on to earn an Associate Degree in Finance in 2024.

She worked three jobs while she was in college, one at a restaurant, one at a convenience store and another at Preferred Credit, Inc. (PCI), at their corporate headquarters in St. Cloud.

She continues working at PCI, now as a Client Onboarding and Training Administrator. She does a lot of bilingual work in that position, because she is fluent in English and Spanish. Noelia says before CareerONE she didn’t see any career opportunities available to her because of her language skills. Now, she knows they are a huge asset to her. She points to a paid internship that Career Solutions connected her with at CentraCare as an eye-opening example of how essential and valuable bilingual language skills are. At the time she was considering becoming a police officer or social worker and the internship allowed her to shadow CentraCare social workers on the job.

“One of the social workers took me to Long Prairie to show me how important being bilingual was to help families in need.  There were families there who were in need, and I was able to speak with them in Spanish and that made them feel so much more comfortable,” remembers Noelia. “Before CareerONE I didn’t know there were good paying options for me. I learned that bilingual speakers are truly needed, especially in Minnesota.”

Noelia still refers back to the lessons she learned, the fun she had and the community she was a part of at CareerONE a decade ago. She keeps a binder of the skills she developed and certifications she earned while participating in CareerONE.

“The program was very, very good. I loved the teachers and just loved the community that they created,” explained Noelia. “I'll always be grateful for all the fun memories and opportunities CareerONE provided!"

• Find out more about CareerONE – openings are still available for young people in Melrose, Paynesville, Sauk Centre and surrounding areas 
• Contact a CareerForce location near you to learn about youth employment skills programs in your part of Minnesota