Job Shadow Initiative

Job Shadow is a year-round effort to introduce young people to the world of work through job shadowing experiences. The program begins with a nationwide kickoff on Feb. 2, 2009 and continues throughout the year.

Job Shadowing offers students an up-close look at the world of work, allowing them to spend time during the workday with an employee, offering the opportunity to observe an employee's worksite behaviors and skills. The program invites students to see firsthand how the skills learned in school relate to the workplace. Job Shadow is a ‘win:win’ for students, educators and employers –

Students:

 Provides answers, “Why do I have to learn this?” and “Would I want to make this job a career?”  Gives a view into a job -- job characteristics and responsibilities, day-to-day requirements  Students learn first-hand from the people in the noted jobs

Educators:

 Helps motivate students to learn by demonstrating the tangible applications of classroom lessons  Helps craft lesson plans around students’ career interests

Employers:

 Helps prepare the future workforce  Shows students career possibilities in different industries  Demonstrates a tangible commitment to supporting and improving the community  Creates a feeling of personal satisfaction that comes from mentoring a young person  Promotes potential long-term mentoring relationships

Educators and employers partner to provide education and experiences that prepare people for the workplace and jobs of the future. EIHRA members are encouraged to participate in the Job Shadow program with their respective employers. Running the program is flexible. Information and tips including a How-to Guide to coordinate a successful job shadowing event are available at: www.jobshadow.org.

Employers are expanding this program to for adults.

Job Shadow Day is a coordinated effort of America ’s Promise - The Alliance for Youth, Junior Achievement, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), and the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Labor.