PVHS grad finds challenging employment in Gap

When Evan Hershey was a sophomore at Pequea Valley High School (PVHS) in 2020, he started thinking seriously about his career after high school. "I've always been interested in working with my hands and the mechanical aspect of things," said Hershey, who turned to Jared Erb, First Choice Career coordinator with the Pequea Valley School District, for assistance.

"I was curious about opportunities," recalled Hershey, who reported that Erb set him up to take part in the Manufacturers' Association Pre-Apprenticeship Program. Once a month, Hershey participated in the program, which took him to a variety of business locations, including Tyson Foods in New Holland. "We toured the facility and learned about jobs with that manufacturer," said Hershey, who also took classes at the Manufacturers' Association facility. "We learned precision measurement and machining," he recalled. "(The classes) exposed us to things we would deal with in the manufacturing field. They gave us direction, and that was very helpful."

Hershey appreciated the opportunity with the Manufacturers' Association, but he wanted to know more, and Erb provided that information. "(Erb) also suggested some internships," recalled Hershey. "He gave me a list of places (that offered internships), and (Smoker Door Sales in Gap) was one of them." Because Hershey was very interested in woodworking, he considered a number of places, but Smoker Door was the most interesting to him.

"It was not quite woodworking, but it incorporated a lot of basic skills that I knew if I didn't continue to work here, I could use other places," said Hershey, who decided to pursue an internship with Smoker, interviewing with owner Jeff Smoker and beginning the apprenticeship two days a week in January of 2023. Hershey attended classes at PVHS in the mornings and trained with Trevor Martin at Smoker Door Sales in the afternoon. Hershey's initial training involved installing overhead doors in sheds. "Generally, they start you with shed doors, and that gives you a foundation," said Hershey, who noted that the job involved using a number of tools. "Some I had used and some I hadn't," Hershey recalled, noting that his age was also a challenge. "I wasn't 18, so there were some tools I couldn't use," he reported, adding that Smoker purchased tools that Hershey would be allowed to use so he could perform the job safely. He completed the apprenticeship about a month before his PVHS graduation date of June 3, 2023.

As the apprenticeship time was coming to a close, Hershey felt a calling to work at Smoker Door Sales full time. He knew an installer position was open. "I expressed interest," said Hershey, who interviewed for the job and began working at Smoker Door Sales on June 12, 2023. Among the advantages Hershey sees in his position are the chance to work outside every day and the differences in the various jobs. "I like getting to experience something new every day," he said, noting that the three main areas of work are shed doors, residential doors, and commercial doors. He enjoys the residential work because of the customer interaction and the variety. "You get into situations where you have to rely on your problems-solving (skills)," he said. "Every house is different and you never know what (challenges) you're going to run into," Hershey said. He added that he appreciates commercial work because of the teamwork aspects. "I like working with a crew and building a bond between co-workers," he said. Hershey also appreciates the unique aspects of different tasks and the changes in the level of difficulty. "I'm never bored," he said with a smile.

Readers who have questions about the Pequea Valley First Choice program may email jared_erb@pequeavalley.net or call 717-768-5510, ext. 5518.