By Gregg Moss
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February 1, 2010
Teens in Colorado and Wyoming can now find out about more than 100 different careers through a new virtual job shadow program launched today by Junior Achievement, DeVry University, and Career Corner Digital. The fast-paced, first-person videos take students behind the scenes at some of the world’s top companies, providing them with an inside look at life on the job.
The unique content is free and can be found at http://studentcenter.ja.org/. The comprehensive career profiles utilize technology to deliver an innovative job shadowing tool that helps students make informed decisions about their future. Education requirements, future job outlook and earnings potential are among the topics that are also covered with the videos.
This new resource provides an important secondary purpose as well — to make the subjects kids are taking in school more relevant by showing how they connect to real jobs. “We know that the majority of kids drop out from Colorado and Wyoming schools because they haven’t made the connection between learning and earning. This tool is perfect at making school relevant,” says Robin Wise, President and CEO, of JA Rocky Mountain.
By Gregg Moss
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January 29, 2010
Despite the doom and gloom headlines about the tough economy, a new poll shows that teens entering the workforce today are confident they will one day have their ideal job. The findings come from the “Kids and Careers” poll conducted by Junior Achievement and ING.
90 percent of the teens surveyed say they’re confident about landing their ideal job. Additionally, the majority – 84 percent – say they’d pass up getting that perfect job for the opportunity to make a difference in the world. When asked what would motivate them to pass up the “ideal” job, more teens chose, “having decision-making responsibilities,” having a job that was challenging and working at a job that had a “positive impact on society” versus “being well paid.”
The teens’ optimism runs counter to the findings of a recent study conducted by the Conference Board, which found the level of job satisfaction among adults was at 45 percent – a 22-year low.
JA Worldwide president, Jack E. Kosakowski, says, “teens are telling us they want to channel this energy and invest in their future careers.” Rhonda Mims, president of the ING Foundation, adds, “from an employer’s perspective, programs such as JA Job Shadow are key to creating a well-prepared workforce, because they provide a multi-faceted approach to teaching career skills.”
Gabrielle Ruiz, age 17, a senior and a JA participant, thinks that the Job Shadow program is, “awesome” and adds, “job shadowing helped me decide what kind of career I want to pursue. After shadowing someone at AT&T, I found I had the talent to excel at accounting.”
JA also provides virtual Job Shadow job experiences free of charge. More on the new virtual component coming on Monday!
By Gregg Moss
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January 22, 2010
The normally hallowed and quiet halls of Anadarko Petroleum came alive as 63 students from George Washington and Sheridan High Schools took over. Okay, they didn’t really take over, but they did experience first-hand what it takes to be a geophysicist, petroleum engineer and accountant, among other professions. The students participated in the JA Job Shadow: Energy Industry program, which gives high school students the opportunity to explore jobs at energy companies in the Rocky Mountain region and visit a company to gather information and observe the business.
26 Volunteers from Anadarko participated and visited the high schools the day prior to the company visit to prep the students about what to expect. It was a lot of fun!
By Angie
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November 18, 2009
Chase is giving away $5 million to various charities and needs your help to pick which ones. Vote for JA and help us teach self-sufficiency to 95,000 students this year!
By Angie
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November 12, 2009
On December 1 2009, the Junior Achievement of Rock River Valley in IL will close because of the challenging economic conditions. One volunteer from the area shared his thoughts about the importance of JA on his blog…
“And that’s the importance of Junior Achievement. It’s not to turn them into instant entrepreneurs or to save them, but to give them insight into our world of business. Think back to your youth and consider who and what crossed your path that peaked your interest in business. Heck, I have more mentors than can be remembered and each added something to the mix that’s become my business career and I’ll bet you have the same.”
Well said, Dwain…
Our goal in Denver, Northern Colorado, and Wyoming is to reach 95,000 students this year, but we can’t do it without our amazing volunteers. Please call 303-534-5252 for information on available classes. We look forward to working with you!