Students Go to Work with Parents

The average age in Nova Scotia's workplaces will be slightly lower on Wednesday, Nov. 7. About 6,000 Grade 9 students from more than 80 schools are going to work that day for Take Our Kids to Work Day.

The national program gives students an opportunity to learn about their parents' world of work and to explore the link between school and careers.

"It's important for students in junior high to start thinking about what they might like to do after they finish high school," said Education Minister Jane Purves. "Spending a day in an office or a research lab or a retail business gives students some insight to help them make decisions about their futures."

Take Our Kids to Work Day targets Grade 9 students because they are on the verge of making course choices that will affect their future education and job opportunities. In Nova Scotia, the curriculum includes career education at the this level.

"This program helps young people to clearly see the link between a solid education and a good job," said Ms. Purves. "This realization can motivate students to succeed academically."

Eric Boutilier is a guidance counsellor at Bible Hill Junior High School in Truro. Students from this school have been participating in Take Our Kids to Work Day since the program began.

"It's an outstanding program that gives students a great opportunity to view the world of work and to gain a better appreciation for what their parents do, day in and day out," said Mr. Boutilier. "It also allows students to use different social skills to interact with people in a work setting, something they don't get to practice often."

As the program's provincial sponsor, the Department of Education co-ordinates school participation and provides training and resources. Teachers spend considerable time in the classroom before the day, preparing the students and helping them make the most of it. The experience continues the day after, as students are encouraged to assess and reflect on it, as part of an educational unit on careers.

Take Our Kids to Work was launched in 1994 and has been a national program since 1998.