Build career skills by taking our kids to work any day
Oregon’s four percent unemployment rate is the lowest in 40 years according to the state’s employment department and is projected to remain strong if the state continues to attract a growing and skilled labor supply. However, state economists anticipate that Oregon will need 70,000 new workers every year from now until 2024 to fill job vacancies.
Ensuring future workers are prepared for these jobs is crucial, and is just one more reason to offer various career awareness programs to the next generation of workers. The annual Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, held April 27th this year, is a prime opportunity to inspire Oregon’s future workforce.
The non-profit foundation behind Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of this event, but the origins of this effort go back 25 years. During this special day, students (recommended ages 8-18) spend a day at the job site with a parent or another trusted adult, exploring different career paths and experiencing the world of work.
While the fourth Thursday in April is designated for this special day, connecting students with life at the workplace is encouraged year-round.
I remember participating in “career day” when I was in elementary school, learning about the jobs of my friend’s parents – maybe a farmer or a nurse. In recent decades, middle and high schools collaborated with the local business community, setting up job shadowing days or internships.
Over the past 10 years, Oregon schools have also increased specialized Career Technical Education (CTE) courses to equip students with the skills needed for the workforce of today and the future, like high tech and health care. And now, before students can graduate high school in Oregon, they’re required to complete a career-related learning experience such as job shadowing or service learning.
Still, many American companies are worried about a lack of potential employees with the right kind of workplace training and skills for jobs. Nearly half of all employers in the US have difficulty filling job openings according to an annual talent shortage survey.
In addition, the job market faces changing demographics, globalization and technology. Positions like Uber drivers and online education distance learning coordinators didn’t exist ten years ago, according to the Oregon employment department. And, keep in mind that the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the average American changes jobs around eleven times in a lifetime.
Though experts don’t know all the occupations on the horizon, they’ve identified three key skills that today’s students need to compete in the workforce of tomorrow.
Critical Thinking: In the information age, being able to think critically is essential to job security. This also includes complex problem solving and decision-making skills. Supervisors want workers who can organize and prioritize, be responsible and work independently but know when to ask for help.
Communication: While proficiency in social media and email is helpful, employers expect employees to have extensive verbal and written communication capabilities. Being able to speak and write clearly and concisely is even more crucial as technology evolves and allows companies to span the globe. Communicating in other languages is a bonus.
Collaboration: Whether workers are collaborating with colleagues across the planet or across the hall, they need to understand other viewpoints and cultures. Employers require strong social skills involving teamwork, persuasion and mentoring of others.
Many of us have undoubtedly heard a teenager say “why do I have to study this stuff, I’ll never use it in real life?” Encourage your student to participate in an internship or some other vocational opportunity, and they’ll soon recognize these skills and connect the dots to what they’re learning in school. Parents can also point out these skills during Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Here are a few tips to keep in mind during this special experience:
Plan ahead: Talk to your child about what they want to learn about the office or profession. Cover ground rules and expectations with them so they know where they’re supposed to be on the big day and so you can keep track of them.
It’s not mandatory: If your child isn’t interested in your line of work, perhaps they can go to work with a friend, or relative? Instead of coming to your work over and over, the goal is to expose your student to different careers.
Check with the boss first: Let management know you’re participating in Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Find out if your employer or colleagues are joining in or have plans for the day.
Keep kids engaged: Introduce your child to co-workers and have them shake hands so they understand there are different job responsibilities. It’s important to allow your child to be a part of the daily process. Involve them in a brainstorming session or assign them hands-on duties.
End the day on a high note: Keep a positive attitude so your child might look forward to getting a job someday. Have a short debriefing to hear what your child plans to tell their teacher and classmates about their work experience. Allow them to pick out a souvenir from the job site or reward them with a treat on the way home.
While Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day provides a special opportunity for students to experience the workplace, for some children across Oregon being around their parents while at work is an everyday occurrence. Students at Oregon Connections Academy (ORCA) attend virtual public school from home, and many have parents who also work from home. For example, one parent is a physician and radiologist who does part of her work remotely from home while her student completes studies.
Other ORCA students pack up their laptops and textbooks, and complete schoolwork at their parent’s place of employment. In one case, a parent operates a finance and insurance company, setting aside office space for her daughter to do schoolwork too. Not only are these students able to see the ups and downs of their parents’ jobs but they also observe role models using career-readiness skills employers are seeking.
Nearly 40 million people and over 3.5 million businesses across the country participated in last year’s Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. The program uses the word “our” because adults are encouraged to reach out beyond their own children for this experience. Even if you don’t have children, maybe a niece or nephew, the neighbors’ kids, or other children could benefit from a workplace experience? And, you don’t have to wait until next April to get started either!
Carole Kepler of Rainier is an Oregon Connections Academy high school science teacher. She can be reached through ORCA at www.OregonConnectionsAcademy.com or (800) 382-6010.
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