Alliance Seeks Volunteers from Many Professions to Take Students to Work for a Day
Whether Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow or not, employers across Santa Clarita will see theirs on Friday, February 1st, during the Eleventh Annual National Groundhog Job Shadow Day, hosted locally by the Santa Clarita Valley School & Business Alliance. Throughout Santa Clarita, students will spend a half-day shadowing scientist’, firefighters, graphic designers, doctors, architects, teachers, government employees and a myriad of other professions in order to experience the workplace firsthand.
The national event was established in 1997 in an effort to get young people into the workplace to find out what skills and level of education are required to succeed in the job market. Last year, more than one million young people, including 20,000 students in Southern California took part in activities across the country, spearheaded by America’s Promise, Junior Achievement, and the U.S. Department of Labor.
The SCV School & Business Alliance estimates that over 500 students will participate in job shadowing activities throughout the month of February, and that thousands of students will job shadow during the school year. For students and educators job shadowing provides an answer to the question, “Why do I have to learn this?”
“Groundhog Job Shadow Day provides a unique opportunity to make the world of work come alive for Santa Clarita students,” says Sharon Kramer, Administrative Assistant for the SCV School & Business Alliance said. “They get to see how academics are applied in the workplace and are inspired and motivated to be successful adults.”
Santa Clarita businesses are especially looking forward to Groundhog Job Shadow Day, with over 50 businesses already committed to participating. Paul Priesz, Principal of Valencia High School, and Chair of the Alliance expressed the enthusiasm that many in this community share. “Our goal is to prepare students for life. This is a great opportunity for us to demonstrate the link between school and the workplace, and really give students an opportunity to see what it takes to succeed in a profession or industry and plan for their future.”
Students who would like to participate may pick up an application in their high school’s Career Center. If you would like to host a student at your place of business on February 2nd, call Sharon Kramer at the Santa Clarita Valley School & Business Alliance office at 661-259-0033 ext. 230 or visit www.scvalliance.org .