Job Shadowing

Designed to help students explore a field of interest while developing research skills and building occupational knowledge, job shadowing is conducted at the workplace and occurs over most of the workday.

Job shadowing provides students with an up-close look at a particular occupation, company, industry, and career path. The activities are designed to:

• Promote exploration of a field of interest.
• Help students make the connection between school and the workplace.
• Inform career planning.

Job shadowing allows students to practice and demonstrate key work-readiness skills such as communication and appropriate workplace behavior. The activities are structured to:

• Allow students to listen, receive information and ask questions.
• Enable students to begin identifying areas of career interest.
• Build knowledge about the education and training needed for a particular job, career path and entry into the industry.

Job shadowing is supported by three formats that deliver unique experiences to students and employers. The activities are organized through:

• Classroom preparation, including research on the occupation, its industry and the participating company.
• Employer orientation and support.
• Opportunities to reflect upon the experience verbally and in writing.

Job shadowing helps students learn about future workplace opportunities through embedding them in businesses or organizations in the community. The activities are connected to:

• Individual career development/training plans.
• Future work-based learning activities.
• The student's next steps.