Take Our Kids to Work Day is Nov. 6
Workplaces will become temporary classrooms on Wednesday, Nov. 6, as more than 5,000 Grade 9 students from Surrey and White Rock schools job shadow their parents, caregivers and other adults for Take Our Kids to Work Day.
For more than 20 years, Surrey Schools has participated in the annual career exploration event, providing hands-on, real-world experience shadowing parents, relatives, friends and volunteers. Take Our Kids to Work Day, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, is often students’ first exposure to work in a variety of fields, from office jobs to skilled trades, to healthcare and many more.
“It’s become a thing people look forward to,” said Dorota Peacock, Career Education Coordinator at Surrey Schools. “There are some amazing placements because people do all sorts of different jobs.”
As students enter their teen years, Peacock said there can be pressure for youth to figure out what they want to do after graduation, without knowing what jobs are available to them. Take Our Kids to Work Day offers a chance to see different careers in action and provides exposure to jobs that may align with students’ interests.
“We ask kids, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ And that’s not really something that any child is capable of answering because they may only know the jobs they hear about,” said Peacock. “Some students find out what they don’t like on Take Our Kids to Work Day, and that can help guide them toward work that they actually find fulfilling and rewarding in a different way.”
While there are some limits to what types of jobs students can shadow in terms of safety and logistics, the district makes an effort to provide in-school opportunities through presentations and research assignments for students to learn about career options. The District Education Centre also hosts numerous children of district staff on Take Our Kids to Work Day, offering interactions with and presentations by Surrey Schools employees who work outside of school settings.
“There are so many more jobs in this district that students may not have heard of,” said Peacock. “We have capital and planning staff, culinary workers, information technology specialists – within the district alone, there are all kinds of career paths.
“The day also provides an opportunity for students and parents to have a conversation about what they liked, what they didn’t like, and what they could pursue in the future, whether that’s university, college, trades training or something else entirely.”
Whether students discover their dream job or get some ideas on what they might like to do, Peacock said she hopes Take Our Kids to Work Day continues to set a course for the district’s Grade 9 students as they navigate the rest of secondary school and enter the working world.
“I’m hoping it opens their eyes that they can do anything, anywhere,” she said.
This year, Take Our Kids to Work Day is led by Students Commission of Canada, with the theme “Breaking barriers, transforming communities.” For more information, click here