Thanks to numerous area businesses and organizations, 118 high school students in the Douglas County School System now have firsthand knowledge of various professions and potential employers. These students participated in recent Job Shadow days coordinated by their high school CTAE (Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education) leaders. During job shadow days, businesses and organizations invite students to shadow employees and/or tour their facilities.
Job shadowing is important because it introduces students to different careers and helps them decide which jobs might be the best fit for them. Some students who job shadow plan to seek full-time work right after high school graduation, and others are looking for insight about what might be the best major for them in college.
During medical Shadow Day, Kaiser Permanente welcomed 20 HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) officers and their teachers for a tour of the new state-of-the-art medical facility at Town Park in Kennesaw. During law enforcement Shadow Day, the Douglasville Police Department and Douglas County Sheriff’s Department welcomed 24 students interested in law enforcement careers. Numerous other restaurants, retail stores, schools, banks, accountants, law firms, and government organizations welcomed 74 students at a third Job Shadow day.
“Experiential learning is a key component to Career and Technical Education,” said Leslie Austin, work-based learning coordinator for Chapel Hill High School, and one of the organizers of annual Shadow Days. “We value our industry partners in Douglas County and appreciate their willingness to open their doors and provide real world experience and information to help our students with career exploration.”
In addition to Job Shadow days for high school students, the In Demand Career Expo is designed to get even younger students thinking about which career opportunities might be best for them. According to Ms. Austin, the In Demand Career Expo has a slightly different format from Job Shadow days. Numerous employers set-up exhibits, often at the Douglasville Conference Center, and students are bused to them. The students hear a short presentation from company and organization representatives about what they do and the career fields available.