Workforce Innovations

Feature Groundhog Job Shadow Day: Preparing Silicon Valley's Future Workforce
	In today’s world, it is too often the case that we look back at our entry into the working world with disdain or amusement, recognizing that our first job, in many cases, was obtained for the primary purpose of generating a teenager’s immediate income.

The opportunity to learn new skills, explore varied career paths, make informed career decisions, and see first hand the relevance of education to business is often delayed until employment has become a necessity.This delay in obtaining relevant, informative work experiences puts businesses at a competitive disadvantage as companies spend increasing amounts of time and money simply introducing young employees to their new jobs and the responsibilities that accompany them. Employers must also bear the brunt of staff turnover when these new hires determine that a job or career is not a suitable fit.

There is, however, an upcoming opportunity on February 2, 2006, that allows businesses to address this issue proactively and work to remedy tomorrow’s workforce challenges—Groundhog Job Shadow Day.

Meet Your Future Employees

Junior Achievement of Silicon Valley and Monterey Bay (JA), a nonprofit economic education organization, demonstrates to children and youth the importance of education and workplace success by bringing business leaders into the classroom for interactive and informative learning sessions.

In 1998, JA partnered with local businesses and community-based organizations to offer its first Groundhog Job Shadow Day, begun as one piece of the national “America’s Promise” initiative. The event has been co-sponsored locally by NOVA since 2003. This annual one-day event is an opportunity for businesses to serve as role models for career-oriented youth and to showcase workplace skills to the next generation of workers.

According to Debbie Gale, vice president of education at Junior Achievement of Silicon Valley and Monterey Bay, this practical experience is critical in developing future workers who will “understand and know what is out there and be interested in local industry.”

By hosting youth at their work site for part of a day, businesses have the opportunity to promote their mission and value, provide a realistic look at workplace culture, and illustrate the skills and abilities necessary and desired in employees.

As an additional benefit to the business community, youth who are exposed to local businesses may be more interested in supporting these businesses through marketplace participation. Moreover, sharing with youth the realities and needs of business today will yield workers who are highly skilled, knowledgeable, and more focused in the future.

The Benefits of Participating

Although there are many benefits to businesses that participate in Groundhog Job Shadow Day, it has been a constant challenge for program administrators to identify local companies willing and able to host youth for the event.

One of the many misconceptions about Groundhog Job Shadow Day is that companies will be required to expend a significant amount of personnel hours in order to participate. The reality is that only one staff person is needed to coordinate in advance of the event, two hours of preparation are required for any staff person hosting students, and the event itself is scheduled to last no longer than half a day.

Some companies wonder whether the popular Take Your Child to Work Day is sufficient in promoting the link between education and work to youth. While it is true that Take Your Child to Work Day does provide insight into the realities of the working world, the event reaches only a small subsection of youth who are fortunate to have parents who are able to participate and the child is limited to the parent’s particular workplace. Groundhog Job Shadow Day, however, reaches a greater diversity and number of youth and allows youth to explore a much wider cross-section of careers and work settings.

Some also question whether youth are truly interested in visiting a workplace, but experience has shown that interest is actually quite high among local teens. This past year, over 4,000 students participated in the event within Santa Clara and Monterey Counties alone, and students found the experience to be both informative and valuable. As one student stated, “[Groundhog Job Shadow Day] showed me that if I want to do what I really want to do, then I should get serious about school”—something every parent and every future employer should be pleased to hear.

An Investment in Success

Groundhog Job Shadow Day allows a company an easy way to take proactive steps now to ensure its future corporate success and profitability. Although participating in the event requires a day’s investment each year, that small amount of time may mean a lifetime of success and achievement for Silicon Valley businesses, the youth, and ultimately the community.

Groundhog Job Shadow Day provides time for youth and representatives of business to share information and ideas, so that both may grow from the interaction and develop more enriching and rewarding lives.

How to Get Involved

This year’s Groundhog Job Shadow Day is scheduled for Thursday, February 2, 2006, although companies are encouraged to get involved even if this date is not ideal. JA will coordinate any company-specific mentoring events throughout the year at no cost to business or youth.

If your company or organization would like to be involved or find out more about this annual event, please contact Debbie Shaver at Junior Achievement by phone at (408) 988-8915 extension 203 or via e-mail at dshaver@siliconvalley.ja.org.

Feature

Groundhog Job Shadow Day: Preparing Silicon Valley's Future Workforce

Meet Your Future Employees

The Benefits of Participating

An Investment in Success

How to Get Involved

Groundhog Job Shadow Day:
Preparing Silicon Valley's Future Workforce