HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — Goodwill is bringing a state program to the Midstate, with the goal of getting high school students ready for their first full-time jobs.

As part of the program, sheds on City Island are getting a fresh coat of paint…

“This is actually my first time,” high school student Lindsey Long said. “We painted this yesterday and there’s some blue so we’re trying to get the white.”

Long has been hard at work with her brush for a few days.

“I’ve been enjoying it a lot,” she said.

She is one of eight students working on sprucing up the area near the Skyline Sports Complex. Supervising the students and showing them the ropes is Goodwill Keystone Area youth services manager Dinna Pich.

“They’ve been mulching, painting some benches,” he said.

This program is part of a partnership between Goodwill Keystone Area and the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, serving students with disabilities. This is the program’s second year in the Midstate.

“When it comes to the word disability, there’s a big stigma behind it,” Pich said.

Pich said students get hands on experience and learn new work skills.

“They’ll have all the tools and knowledge to be able to transition into real jobs,” he said.

High school student Jeffrey Fountain said the work helps him relax and has taught him about getting ready for a job.

“I learned that it’s important to come to work, that way, you know what you’re doing when you get older,” he said.

For students like Fountain, the program offers a glimpse of a possible future.

“I did mention to…my mom that I would love to do this as a job,” Long said.

Pich said he wants to build students’ confidence to go after that future.

“Not make them feel ashamed that they have a disability or feel like they have any, they just have a different way of learning, and we just want to provide the tools for them to really be able to accomplish whatever they set their mind to,” Pich said.

This program runs for six weeks. The students will be wrapping up on City Island on July 21.