Hi, I'm Aidan.

As a kid, you might not realize it, but Kansas has a big problem.

There aren't enough people who want to do many of our important jobs.

That's why Cool Careers exist.

Because Kansas needs more kids like you and me to someday do jobs like: an agronomist, wind turbine tech, construction worker or mental health provider.

If we don't step up to fill these jobs, who will?

No matter where you choose to work, you'll probably find a human resources specialist who oversees the recruitment, hiring and retention of employees at a company or organization like a hospital or school.

Today, we're at Labette Health, a hospital in Southeast Kansa that serves a six-county area.

We will meet a human resources specialist, learn about her job and hear why kids like you might want a career in this field.

Let's go!

I'd like you to meet Ashley, a human resources specialist here at Labette Health.

Hi.

Ashley, to get us started, can you tell us what it is you do as a human resources specialist?

Because I hear there's a lot more to it than people think.

There certainly is.

It's my job to introduce as many people as I can to jobs at Labette Health.

I'm in charge of advertising open positions so people learn more about them.

I often go to career fairs at schools and communities across the state where people are looking for jobs.

My team and I review the incoming applications and determine which people to interview.

We schedule and conduct those interviews and help managers decide who to hire for each position.

Then we get to tell a person chosen for the job that they got hired and we get to schedule them for their new-hire paperwork.

So is human resources the same as HR?

I've heard of that before.

Yes.

It's oftentimes abbreviated to HR.

Some companies use other terms to mean the same type of work like talent acquisition or human capital.

Whatever name is used, professionals who work in this field are all basically focused on the same thing: how to find, recruit, train and retain employees.

Aidan: OK, that clears up that question.

What else do you do?

I teach new employees about the hospital and the responsibilities of their job on their first few days of work, a process we call orientation.

I also present classes for our department managers to keep them up to date on new hospital policies and procedures.

I enjoy teaching our staf and getting to know them better.

I'm also in charge of efforts to work with our staff to keep them happy, so they want to continue working here.

We plan various activities like the Easter egg hunt you will help with today.

We want employees to know how much our hospital appreciates them and their hard work.

Getting to plan and host events sounds fun.

I mean, who doesn't like a good party with candy and a giant rabbit?

Is your job always filled with fun events?

Well, one part of my job that's not always fun, but is super important is having hard conversations with employees and trying to resolve conflict.

Sometimes I help an employee and their manager talk about serious issues that affect how well the employee does their job and look for solutions.

Sometimes those conversations result in employees having to change their behaviors or take additional training.

Other times, these tough conversations may lead to an employee losing their job.

That can be a necessary part of making sure our patients get the very best care at our hospital.

Is it hard to fire people?

It can be, but it's my job to make sure that our patients and their family members have a good experience.

Luckily, I don't have to do that part of my job very often.

I get to do the more fun and happier parts more than the hard ones.

Would you look at the time?

I've got someone coming in for an interview in a few minutes.

Would you like to join me?

Sure I would.

I was hoping you'd let me help.

I prepared my own list of questions.

You did?

Like what?

What happens when the chicken crosses the road?

What's your favorite stuffed animal?

Are you afraid of the dark?

Do you watch Cartoon Network?

What's your favorite sandwich?

If you could ride an animal to work every day, what animal would you choose?

Have you ever met Taylor Swift?

Have you ever met Travis Kelce?

If aliens landed on Earth, what would you ask them?

How much would a woodchuck chuck...

I was thinking something more along the lines of these questions.

Come on, let's not keep them waiting.

Hello, my name's Ashley.

Im Aidan.

Want to go ahead and have a seat?

All righty, Ebony.

Well, if you want to start out by telling me a little bit about yourself and kind of what would make you a good candidate for this housekeeping position.

Ashley and I interviewed a candidate for a housekeeping job at the hospital.

She explained to me why she asked different questions and even let me ask some.

So do you work well under high-pressure environments or busy work environments?

Although unfortunately, none of my fun ones.

Well, Aiden, do you have any more questions for our candidate today?

Of course I do.

I just have a couple more questions.

Well, I think that's all the time that we have for today.

Ebony, thank you so much for coming in.

We'll be in touch with you in the next week or so, letting you know if you got the position.

It was cool to watch her do her job.

Well, what did you think?

Would you hire her for the job?

Well, I didn't get to ask any of my questions, but... OK, let's hire her.

Don't you worry, I have those saved right here for later.

You know, there's one part about my job that I love that I haven't got to tell you about yet.

For employees to be happy here long term, most of them will want to continue to learn new skills and get promotions and raises throughout their careers.

I often help employees find additional classes they can take to learn new skills or degrees so they can qualify for better jobs.

There's nothing better than helping someone succeed.

Kind of like being a school counselor, helping kids choose classes to take in the future?

Yes, I spend time during the week being a counselor or adviser, along with the many other hats that I get to wear.

We have nearly 800 employees here at Labette Health, and I know about 500 of their names.

Only 300 more to go!

Come into my office.

Let me show you where I do most of my work.

Ashley, when you were a kid, did you know you wanted to work in human resources?

Nope.

When I was a kid, I thought I was going to be a nurse like my mom.

Then one day, we had a blood drive at school, and I almost passed out, and I wasn't even the one giving blood.

I realized how much I enjoyed learning about psychology and the different stages of people's lives.

I ended up going to Pittsburg State University and majoring in psychology with an emphasi in human resource development.

I eventually earned a master's degree in human resources from Pitt State as well.

And the rest is history?

Pretty much.

I got my first job here at the hospital as the HR assistant, and then when the HR Specialist role opened up I was promoted into that position.

I've nearly been here five years.

I think it's pretty cool that I found my way back into health care, even though it wasn't my original plan.

I'm a little afraid to ask, but do you have any questions for me?

You can interview me now.

Absolutely!

Are there any skills people should have if they want to be successful in human resources?

Now that's a good question.

Human resources specialists need to be confident, and they should enjoy talking in front of groups and have strong customer service skills.

They need to be willing to have hard conversations with others, and they need to be flexible because you never know what's going to happen when you come to work each day.

Do you have any recommendations for things students can do if they want a career in human resources?

Sure.

Activities that build your confidence are essential.

Performing arts, public speaking and student government are great for building your skills.

I also suggest taking classes in psychology and communications.

You need to know how to communicate and work with all different kinds of people in this job.

Do most people who work in human resources have a master's degree like you?

Most people in human resources do have some sort of college degree, whether that be a bachelor's or a master's degree.

But there is such a large need for people to go into human resources, that some are getting into the field through what's called a Registered Apprenticeship Program.

That means they work with an experienced human resources professional who teaches them how to do the job for one to two years while they also take classes online.

You can learn more about this alternative way into human resources at hrapprentice.org.

That's really cool.

I had no idea you could learn a job like this through an apprenticeship.

Ashley, I'd like to thank you and everyone here that works at Labette Health for showing me around and telling me what it's like to work in human resources.

While I'm sure there are a lot of hard days, I'm sure there are a lot of happy ones too.

Yes, it's always a good day when I get to tell someone that they got a job or a promotion.

Who wouldn't like that?

Learn more about this and other high-demand careers at HirePaths.com.

Until next time, this is Aidan signing off for Cool Careers.

Now it's time to go set up an Easter egg hunt.

Yeah!

Hi, I'm Felipe, and today we're here at Beeson Elementary in Dodge City, Kansas.

Beesons mascot is the Bulldogs, and this is where the 2022 Kansas Teacher of the Year, Susanne Stevenson, teaches fourth grade.

And spoiler alert: She was my teacher in fourth grade.

Since youre a kid like me, you might think you already kno what it means to be a teacher, but there's way more to the job than what you might think.

So, let's go ahead and find out what it takes to be a great teacher like Miss Stevenson.

Follow me.

It's really cool to be back in my old school with one of my favorite teachers ever, Miss Stevenson.

Hi Felipe, it's so great to see you again.

You've gotten so much taller since the last time I saw you.

OK, OK.

Enough about me.

Can you please tell us about why love being a teacher?

Absolutely!

Well, every other job is really possible because of teachers.

We educate the future carpenter and lawyers and chefs and truck drivers of the world.

So it's really magica to be able to teach them all the skills that they're goin to need in their future jobs.

I bet the kids watching this at home probably think that they know everything about what a teacher does, but I have a feeling there's a lot more to your job than what kids see.

Absolutely!

Of course, we spend time working directly with students, teaching them all the different skills that they need to know.

But that's really the final step in the process.

Teachers do a lot of work ahead of time, planning and getting things ready.

I've actually got a list of things here that teachers do to get ready.

Teachers also do a lot of things you might not realize, like helping students learn to regulate their behaviors, figuring out how to help students with special needs learn in the best way for them.

We also provide emotional support to students when they need a little bit of extra care and attention.

We advise new teachers who are just starting in their careers.

But most importantly, teachers are constantly learning every day about how to be a better teacher.

Felipe: Wow, that is a lot!

You always made teaching look fun and easy when I was in your class, but it's definitely a lot of work.

Well, thanks.

And you're right.

It definitely is a lot of work.

I have a few ideas on how you can help me be a teacher today.

Would you like to try?

Sure!

We're starting geometry.

Say the word geometry, please.

Students: Geometry!

One more time.

Say geometry.

Students: Geometry!

Good.

Felipe is going to help us out.

Felipe: I got to help Miss Stevenson teach a math activity.

We introduced a class to geometry vocabulary.

I helped demonstrate how to match the words with the definitions and the pictures on the document camera.

Then, I got to go around the class and answer the students' questions.

This box right here it means that it's 90 degrees.

So that's the difference betwee more than 90 degrees, 90 degrees and less than 90 degrees.

Well, what did you think?

It was fun, but a lot more difficult than it looks.

How did you learn how to become a teacher?

Well, I grew up in Ottawa, Kansas, and it was actually my senior year of high school when I decided I wanted to be a teacher.

Looking back I always loved being around kids I babysat and I even worked in a preschool So it just made total sense.

After high school, I went to Emporia State University and got my Bachelor of Science in elementary education.

My senior year at Emporia State, I was actually able to student teach at two Emporia public schools.

From there, I interviewed with Dodge City Public Schools and got a job as a fourth grade teacher out here.

And I've loved it ever since.

Felipe: If I want to become a teacher, how could I get ready?

Well, there are lots of things that you can do.

First, you can volunteer in your community maybe at your church, or even babysit.

Just really spending time with kids is the most important thing.

OK.

I can do that.

What about in school?

What kinds of classes should I take?

Well, elementary teachers teach all subjects.

We teach math and science, language arts and social studies.

So it's important to do well in all classes.

But if there's a subject you love, then do really well in that one.

Another skill that would be helpful is knowing more than one language.

For example, in Dodge City, most people speak English and Spanish.

Unfortunately, I only speak one language, but I do empower my student to bring not only their language but their culture into our classroom.

Yeah, I thought it was really great when you did that.

Thanks.

Let's move on.

What is the hardest part about being a teacher?

Well, I love my profession and what I do, and I would spend so many hours perfecting my craft if I could.

But it's really critical that teachers balance their love for the profession and helping student with their own personal lives.

We're just like everybody else.

We have hobbies and things that we love to do outside of school.

So it's really important that we balance those two things.

But at least you get summers off, right?

Well, that's kind of a misconception.

Teachers take a whole year's worth of work and shove it into nine months.

So we actually spend the summers going to professional conferences, learning how to be a better teacher and planning for the following year.

OK. that makes sense.

I'm sure you're just as ready as kids are for school to be out in May.

I've just got one more question for you.

Sure, whats up?

What was it like to be the Kansas Teacher of the Year?

Oh my gosh.

It was such an honor to be the Kansas Teacher of the Year.

I got to travel all across the state and visit schools and colleges and share my love of teaching with everyone, but also learn from them at the same time.

You know, I was really lucky here at Beeson that I got a co-teacher, Miss Hernandez, that when I had to travel, she could stay here and keep consistency for my students.

You know, they even have a map of where I traveled to so they could follow me on my adventures.

Another really cool thin about being Teacher of the Year: I got to attend a ceremony at the White House with all the other State Teachers of the Year from across the country.

Felipe: Oh, wow!

You got to go to the White House?

That is cool!

Do you think you'll b an elementary teacher forever?

Well, while I love teaching elementary, I don't think I'll stay here forever.

I love teaching so much, and I want other people to love it just as much as I do, so one day I hope to be a college professor.

That way I can teach college students how to be teachers and share my love of education that way.

Maybe I'll be your student again in college.

Maybe so!

Thank you, Miss Stevenson, for sharing your love of learning with us and inspiring all of us to consider teaching as a career.

Until next time, this is Felipe signing off in Dodge City for Cool Careers.

Have a great day!

Hi.

I'm Nikaela.

If you're like me, you've been taught to call 911 if there's an emergency.

You know, like if there's a fire in your house or if someone in your family suddenly gets really sick.

All you have to do is simply pick up your phone and dial these three digits, and someone be available to help right away.

How can I help yo This is the police department.

What were you calling for today?

But who are the people on the other end of that call, ready to help with any type of emergency at any time of day or night?

Today, we're in Kansas City, Kansas, visiting the KCK Police Department.

We will meet a dispatcher to learn about her job and why you should consider this as a possible career.

Let's go.

I'd like you to meet Jaz a dispatcher with the KCK Police Department.

Can you start by telling us wha happens when someone calls 911?

10-4.

When a 911 call comes in, a call taker quickly answers the phone and determine the location of the emergency.

It's important for us to know their address right away so that if we get disconnected, we can still send help.

If the person is reporting a fire or a medical emergency, we then transfer the call to th fire department's dispatchers.

If it is a police matter, a call for service is made on the computer.

Then police dispatcher will send officers to the scene.

In some extreme situations, police, fire and paramedics are all sent to the scene, and the dispatchers work together to coordinate a joint response.

So let me get this straight, there are two types of emergency dispatchers — police and fire dispatchers?

10-4.

The fire department has their own dispatchers.

They handle medical and fire calls and dispatch the fire department.

And 10-49s — I mean, ambulances — to help.

It might be different where you live, but here, when you apply to become a dispatcher, you can choose whether to apply to the police or fire departments.

Why do you keep saying numbers like 10-4 or 10-49?

My bad.

I'm used to using codes on the radio.

That's how we quickly communicate with the officers.

10-4 means affirmative, or yes.

And 10-49 means ambulance.

It's like a secret first responder language.

Does that make sense?

10-4.

So then what happens?

Then dispatchers send officers to calls based on priority.

We have a priority scale of one to four.

One and two are referred to as high-priority calls.

Three and four are less emergent and non-emergency calls.

Emergency calls are dispatched with multiple officers and handled before non-emergent calls.

While handling calls, officers use their radios to ask us dispatchers to help them with tasks we can do here.

For example, we check license plates in our computer system to see if a car's owner is wanted by the police or if the car is stolen.

We work as a team, with the police officers by doing what we can to collect information and assist them.

That way, we can best protect and serve the public while staying safe.

Has anyone ever called you for something silly?

Like to get a cat out of a tree?

Thats the classic example.

Have you ever seen a dead cat in a tree?

We just tell people it' going to come down on its own.

While some calls end up not being emergencies, many calls are for serious things like shoplifting, missing people, car accidents, or even really scary situations, like when someone gets shot.

That's a lot going on at once.

So what runs through your mind when you get a call about something serious?

Yes, sometimes there is a lot going on, on both the phone and the radio.

It's our job to stay calm, keep the person on the phone calm and safe, and then try to gather as much information as possible to help the officers.

Nikaela: How many calls do you get each day?

Our center receives about 1,200 calls every day.

That's about 400,000 a year.

Oh, wow!

That's a lot of calls.

Some calls aren't really emergencies but require police attention.

While we help with all types of situations big and small it's important that people don't call 911 unless it's a real emergency.

Doing so ties up dispatchers and can create a problem if someone isn't available to help when a real emergency happens.

All police departments have other phone numbers for problems that aren't emergencies.

So would you like to see what it's like to be a police dispatcher?

My supervisor, Manuel, said he would help us do a pretend 911 call.

But don't worry.

I'll help you know exactly what to do.

OK, I have to admit, I'm a bit nervous.

There are so many screens and buttons and lights everywhere.

It's kind of intimidating.

Don't worry.

It's 100% make believe.

I'll be with you the whole time.

And if you were really in training, you would get lots of time and instruction to know exactly what to do before you answered any real calls.

So you ready to try answering a pretend call for yourself?

10-4.

But first, I do have one question.

Go for it.

Do police officers really like doughnuts?

Because I'm kind of hungry, and a doughnut sounds really good right now.

Of course, police officers love doughnuts and dispatchers.

Who doesn't love doughnuts?

Ill make you a deal.

I'll show you exactly how to answer a 911 call.

And afterwards, if you pay close attention and do exactly what I say, I'll make sure you get all the doughnuts you want.

You got yourself a deal.

Jaz took me to her workstation, and I got to answer the pretend 911 calls.

911 where is your emergency?

Caller: Hi, its at 7th and State.

7th and State?

Yep.

What's going on there?

What's going on there?

There are like, two males fighting at the bus stop.

Does he see any weapons?

Do you see any weapons?

Yeah, I believe one of them possibly has a knife.

We'll have officers check it out as soon as we can.

All righty.

Thank you.

OK, so now I'm going to fake dispatch the officers to the fake call we just took.

OK?

And it would sound like this.

110 120 for an armed disturbance.

7th and State 7th Street and State Avenue.

Two males fighting at the bus stop, actually, theyre in the street now.

A white male, green shirt.

Hispanic male, blue shirt.

One possibly has a knife Caller doesnt know them.

They want to be anonymous.

Pushing route at 1426.

331 copies from South Patrol.

[SIRENS] And that's it.

Once they get there, they'll tell us that they got there — if they were really going.

And then I would put them on the scene.

And once they're there talking to anyone, they'll let me know what's going on.

Nikaela: It was a lot of fun to pretend to be a dispatcher and to see Jaz do her job.

See?

Nothing to worry about.

It's all about remaining calm and following your training.

Are you ready for your reward?

Oh, am I!

Hold out your hands like this.

Oh, wow!

If I can make doughnuts magically appear, all the officers would really want me on their team.

Anything for the cause.

Now set those doughnuts down over there.

Then you can ask me the rest of your questions.

And save me the chocolate one with the sprinkles.

And no snacking!

So, Jaz, why did you decide to become a dispatcher in the first place?

Well, I've been interested in criminal justice since I was a kid.

At first, I thought I wanted to become a police officer.

I even went to the police academy, but afterward I decided I liked working in dispatch best.

Because people work in dispatch 24/7, many dispatchers work long and late hours.

I worked my way up in seniority so I have normal daytime hours, which means I can be home at night with my son and get normal sleep.

But I worked night shift for several years and I enjoyed it too.

Nikaela: So Jaz, what do you like most about what you do?

I've always wanted to work in law enforcement since I was a kid and help people.

This is a great way to do that.

It's fulfilling work, important and every day is different.

So if I decide if I want to b an emergency dispatcher someday, where should I start?

Well, first things first.

If you want to work in law enforcement, you should stay out of trouble.

That means no getting arrested and no doing drugs.

Check and check.

What's next?

While in school, be sure to take as many classes as you can in communications, sociology and psychology.

Some high schools even offer law enforcement classes.

Also, be sure to gain experience through jobs or activities that teach you to be comfortable interacting with people, asking questions and talking on the phone.

You need to enjoy working with people and helping solve their problems.

As soon as you're 18, you can apply to be a dispatcher, either for police or fire.

After you're hired, you'll start as a call taker and get paid from day one to learn the codes and how to interact with the officers on the radios.

Wait, did I hear you say you'll get paid to learn this job?

No expensive classes needed?

You got that right.

We need lots more dispatchers in this state.

Here in KCK, we'll pay you and give you full benefits from the very first day.

It takes about nine months to learn this entire job.

You'll start by watching others do the job.

And then each week, you'll slowly learn more and more until you're ready to take calls in dispatch on your own.

I hear there's a cool way for high school students to see if they like this job.

Yes.

In Kansas City, we have a cadet program that allows second-semester high school seniors to get paid $15 an hour to work here while getting school credit.

If they like it, they can apply for full-time or part-time work when they graduate.

Any senior in Wyandotte County can apply.

And if our viewers don't live in Wyandotte County?

They should check in their city to see if they have a similar program available to them.

That's cool.

I'd like to thank Jaz and everyone I met today at the KCKPD for giving me a special glimpse of what it's like to work as an emergency dispatcher.

It's a hard job, but it's so important for someone to be available when we need help.

I hope this video has inspired you to learn more about jobs in law enforcement.

You can visit HirePaths.com to learn more about this and other high-demand jobs in Kansas.

Until next time, this is Nikaela signing off in Kansas City, Kansas.

Have a great day.

Can I share the doughnuts now?

10-4.