Airport Jobs e-UDPATE: Feature story

AIRPORT JOBS e-UPDATE:
News for employers

Sea-Tac Startup Made Easy by Airport Jobs

Airport Jobs e-UPDATE, June 20, 2003



	Berhanu Tesema was one of thirteen job seekers hired by Airway Cleaners as a result of the recruitment services offered by Airport Jobs.

“In the last two years, we’ve begun operations in ten airports around the country,” said Don Matera, Vice-President and General Manager of Airway Cleaners.  “By far, the easiest startup we’ve had with regard to recruiting and hiring has been at Sea-Tac.”

When Airway was awarded the contract with American Airlines to provide overnight cleaning services on its aircraft, Matera went to only one place for help in hiring the thirteen people he would need to do the job – Airport Jobs.  To assist Airway, Airport Jobs setup an open interview session and called all of the job seekers who had applied for similar jobs through the office in the previous several months.

Berhanu Tesema was one of those who received a call.  A refugee from Ethiopia, Tesema arrived in the United States in February and made Airport Jobs one of the first stops of his job search.

“It was my mission to work at the airport,” said Tesema.   “Getting a job at the airport is very popular in Ethiopia but much easier because the security is not so tight.”

Tesema and twenty-five other job seekers attended the open interview on May 27th for the new position.

“I was nervous because of all the things I didn’t know,” he said.  “I was happy to see some of the staff of Airport Jobs at the interview, though.  It helped me relax a bit.”

Through the interview process that day, Matera hired thirteen employees, including Tesema.  Getting hired was only part of the task at hand for Tesema, though.   In order to accept the job, he would need to pass the Security Identification Display Area (SIDA) test, a requirement for all employees working in secure areas of the airport.   For a non-native English speaker unfamiliar with computers, the timed exam administered by computer was a daunting challenge.

Fortunately for Tesema and Airway Cleaners, Airport Jobs had been working with South Seattle Community College (SSCC) ESL Instructors to develop a curriculum to help non-native speakers prepare for the exam.  Matera was quite agreeable to allowing Tesema a couple more days to study before taking the exam.

“I could tell he’d be a great employee,” he said.  “We just needed to get him up to speed on the test.”

The training included pertinent vocabulary and concepts as well as general rather than subject-specific test-taking tips and practice with a generic computerized test.

“Berhanu was especially nervous about working on the computer,” said Judi Johnson, SSCC ESL Instructor.  “I believe the practice with the computer increased his confidence 100%.”

After a Friday and Saturday session of an hour and a half each, he felt ready.  “I am sure I will pass it the first time,” he told Johnson as they concluded the training.

Tesema proved prophetic as he passed the exam and is now part of the Airway crew cleaning eight planes a night.  And his employer couldn’t be happier.

“The ability of Airport Jobs to tutor prospective employees who have English as a second language enables people to satisfactorily complete the SIDA testing with flying colors!” said Matera.  “This is a real asset to the citizens of the Seattle area who are looking to enter the aviation industry.”

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Port JOBS:
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