SD35 Employees Support “Take Our Kids to Work Day”

November 2, 2023

There were some new faces at the Langley School Board Office on Wednesday.

Many grade 9 students have accompanied their parents or guardians to work and taken on roles as staff for the day as part of “Take Our Kids to Work Day.”

The initiative aims to give students the opportunity to learn and explore different career options in the workforce.

As outlined in its Strategic Plan, the District prioritizes career education and supporting successful transitions after secondary schools. This initiative is a great way for the District to meet those goals while helping students achieve their own goals.

At the School Board Office, there are students spending the day in various departments including Finance, Human Resources, Clerical Services, and the District’s print shop.

Some are shadowing their trusted adults in meetings, learning about data entry, as well as completing hands-on tasks such as creating notebooks and covering brand new books with protective film in the print shop.

“Today’s day is all about [being] hands on. So, kids get to actually experience what it’s like not just to be within a workforce but the hands on jobs that are within that workforce,” says Jill Steacy, District Teacher of Career Education and Arts Education.

“One of the awesome things is students get a chance to see what their parent does and then also students get a chance to explore maybe something they’re thinking of doing in the future,” comments Steacy in regard to the benefits of this experience for students.

In addition, a group of students are spending the day at the school board office learning from paramedics, to get a sense of what it’s like to administer first aid and help save lives. The public service professionals are sharing information, stories and answering questions with the hopes of inspiring more students to go into the field of healthcare.

Students are getting the chance to also learn about the characteristics of workers and hear their personal stories. It’s also an opportunity to help student rule out jobs they don’t want to pursue.

“I think the day is about igniting a passion or it’s just as informative to know something that you’re not interested in,” adds Steacy.