Grade 9s! Take Our Kids to Work Day is Nov. 5!
For more than 5,000 Grade 9 students next Wednesday, the workplace will be their classroom as they 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 31st anniversary, is often students’ first exposure to work in a variety of fields, from office jobs to skilled trades, to healthcare and many more.
“The purpose is to support and encourage young people, and allow them to explore their interests and careers and whatever they’re looking into,” said Dorota Peacock, Career Education Coordinator at Surrey Schools, noting this year’s theme is Lift Up the Future.
“This gives them the opportunity to see different jobs first-hand and potentially inspire their future career paths.”
With more than 13,000 employees, the district is home to an incredible variety of jobs beyond classrooms and school walls:
- Facilities staff handle building maintenance, groundskeeping, electrical work, transportation and much more;
- Information technology manages cyber security, tech support and the IT needs for more than 130 school sites;
- Research & Evaluation conducts qualitative and quantitative research projects that support numerous district developments; and
- Electronic Student Information Systems keeps tack of every single student in the district and ensures changes in registration are maintained accurately across multiple programs.
These job shadow experiences serve as a stellar introduction to a whole host of job opportunities that students may not have thought of, said Peacock.
“The students may hear of what their parents do but they may not understand what that looks like,” she said. “We have a helping teacher who’s bringing her daughter, and she’s going to see what it’s like at the district office but also how the crucial role of supporting teachers at schools so they can support students.
“The work of the Capital Project Office also blows my mind – it’s not just us hiring contractors to build new schools, our staff are involved in the planning and designing and purchasing the land. Some of them are architects and it’s fascinating what they do in the district.”
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 opportunities through presentations and research assignments, both in-class and at district sites such as DEC, for students to learn about career options.
Ultimately, Peacock said she hopes Grade 9 students who attend Take Our Kids to Work Day come away with some new ideas for what types of jobs they may like to pursue, and the knowledge that there are more options and opportunities than they thought for life after graduation.
“They might have an interest in one thing, but then they see something on the day that catches their eye, and that’s why we bring them along,” said Peacock. “It’s one big journey.”
For more information on Take Our Kids to Work Day, click here
