NOVA in the News

Sunnyvale Quarterly Report
April 4, 2008

Groundhog Job Shadow Day: Preparing Tomorrow's Workforce

On February 1, the City of Sunnyvale’s Department of Employment Development (NOVA) co-sponsored the 11th annual Groundhog Job Shadow Day in partnership with Junior Achievement of Silicon Valley & Monterey Bay. This nationwide event was established by Junior Achievement to enable middle school and high school students to shadow employees at their places of work in order to provide youth with first-hand experience of the world of work.

This year, 2,200 students from 23 schools from throughout the region participated, including 20 from Fremont High School and 34 from the other four high schools in the Fremont district: Cupertino, Homestead, Lynbrook, and Monta Vista. These students shadowed employees from 172 local businesses, nonprofit organizations, and municipal governments, including the City of Sunnyvale and seven other Sunnyvale businesses.

The City of Sunnyvale has participated in this civic event since 2001. This year, hosts from a number of City departments served as mentors for the day, providing information and inspiration to participating youth and preparing them for future career choices in municipal government. The students were actively engaged in the day’s activities and many came away with a better understanding of the importance of education in becoming job ready. In voicing her expectations for the day, Fremont High School senior, Ada Chibukhchyan, predicted, “I think it will open my eyes to the real world and help me see what’s in store for me in the future.”

For those youth exploring Sunnyvale’s city government, the day started with a brief orientation, where they learned about the various functions and typical services provided by the City, as well as common career opportunities in municipal government. The students spent the next several hours gaining first-hand knowledge of the inner workings of the City. Maggie Morales, NOVA youth advisor, explained: “The students’ experiences were all very unique, which provides a diverse example of what the City of Sunnyvale has to offer.” Departments involved in this year’s event included the Library, NOVA, Parks and Recreation, Public Safety and Public Works.

“It was a successful day in that the students all walked away with concrete ideas and information to share with other students,” said Morales. “It was a great learning experience for everyone involved.”

For more information about the event and how your company might participate in the future, please visit Junior Achievement online at jascc.org or contact NOVA staff at 408-730-7640.

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