On Friday, February 24, Victoria ISD Career and Technical Education (CTE) students had the opportunity to job shadow employees from a variety of businesses and career fields around Victoria. Students were able to apply to shadow their choice of career fields and occupations so that they could be best matched with an organization or industry closest to their request and interest.
"This event is one of the many ways for our students to get work-based learning opportunities to help them make informed decisions for their future careers and in finding their ‘&,’” said Andrea Pope, VISD Innovation Programs Counselor.
The purpose of job shadowing is to give our students a work-based experience where they spend one-on- one time with someone in a job field that they are seriously considering. It provides them with a great opportunity to ask questions related to the job and industry, network with people in the field, and gain some valuable hands-on experience. “This experience should provide the student with a meaningful introduction to the world of work and provide a context for understanding the connection between early schooling, college (if applicable), and careers,” said Pope.
Specifically, a job shadow should help them accomplish the following:
● Begin to identify career interests.
● Observe the daily routine of adult workers.
● Gain awareness of the academic, technical, and personal skills required by particular jobs.
● Develop and apply communications skills by interacting with and interviewing workers.
● Realize that different jobs are characterized by different work cultures and working environments.
● Begin to understand the connection between school, work, and achieving goals.
Students form Victoria East and Victoria West High School visited the City of Victoria, the University of Houston-Victoria (UHV), Citizens Medical Center, Victoria College, Mission Psychology, Vickers Elementary School, King of Kings Cuts, and Main Street Animal Hospital.
“Our student was on-time and appreciated learning more about what an HR department does for an organization,” said an employee shadowed at the City of Victoria. “Hopefully we can see an increase in interest for the future.”
The students were able to learn more about programs they might not have known were available to them, like using a truck driving simulator at the Victoria College Commercial Driver’s License Program. At Citizens Medical Center, students were able to shadow nurses in the emergency room, operating room, nursery, radiology, infusion, and more.
Sarah Woods, a student at East who was able to shadow at Mission Psychology, said, “It was a calm experience with a friendly contact. I learned a lot about different program options for that specific degree.”
“This experience let me see if healthcare is something I can truly see myself doing in the future,” said West student Nathaniel Blackshear, who shadowed at Citizens Medical Center. “I really enjoyed everything I got to witness and be a part of!”