Boots on the Ground – Career Discoveries program holds annual celebration
June 13, 2017
On June 7, 2017 the Langley School District’s Career Discoveries Program held its 29th Annual Year End Celebration at the School Board Office. Students successes in the workplace were recognized with pizza, awards and slides of students in action. Student successes in restaurants, stores, offices, warehouses and manufacturing sites across Langley were highlighted. This year some individual graduates had completed 6 placements and over 300 hours of work experience.
Planning for life after high school can be difficult for typical graduates: so many opportunities, so many new careers and jobs, so many ways to get training. However, for students with disabilities there are far fewer opportunities and planning for a future career is far more difficult.
The Career Discoveries Program assists students to hit the ground running after graduation. Career Discoveries fills the transition gap by stimulating students to think about life after high school, helping students practice employability skills, arranging work experience, finding paid jobs, and linking students to adult programs and post-secondary training. Students involved in Career Discoveries are placed in work experience with community businesses starting in grade 11. By the time they graduate, students with identified learning challenges will have tried work experiences in several sectors.
Work experience gives students the chance to get their boots on the ground in real community workplaces. “We have had awesome support from community businesses this year,” said teacher Marvin Moedt. “We live in a community that welcomes diversity. Good employers understand that.” Some 50 Langley employers like Newlands Golf & Country Club, Dollarama, Montana’s Restaurant, Toys R Us, Shopper’s Drug Mart, and Super Steve’s Tire hosted nearly eighty secondary students this year.
“This is always such a great moment of the year,” said Sandy Morgan who has had a hand in organizing the event for 29 years. “Work experience is like the ice cream on the cake. These students work hard on their academic and life skills for 12 or 13 years, and to be successful at work experience is pretty sweet. This year 10 students found paid employment through work experience!”
– Prepared and submitted by the Career Discoveries Program