28 Oct 2002
Job Shadowing Designed To Prepare the Workforce of Tomorrow
DALLAS–Hundreds of high school freshmen from the Dallas Independent School District will experience the world of work as part of the job shadowing program scheduled Nov. 4-15.
Sponsored by the DISD School to Careers initiatives and the Greater Dallas Chamber's Workforce Initiative, job shadowing lets students spend half a day in a place of business where they observe and interact with adults. Work environments include medical, broadcasting, legal and hospitality industry, among others.
More than 500 young people are taking part in this year's job shadowing program, including students from five high schools and 50 eighth graders from a special advanced academics program. Leta Durrett, career and technology education specialist, said this kind of experience is essential.
"The students of today are the workforce of tomorrow and need to be prepared to become active participants in the global economy," Durrett said. "All students should have the opportunity to job shadow once in their high school career."
Cindy Colangelo, vice president-Relocation Services and director-Business Development at Coldwell Banker, is chair of the Job Shadowing Committee. "Job shadowing allows students to get a sense of the workplace by observing business for a few hours," Colangelo said. "For many of them, this may be a unique experience for their age. We hope to make a lasting impression as they develop their future plans."
About 80 businesses in Dallas are taking part in the program, including Brinker International, Southern Methodist University, Texas Instruments, The Adolphus Hotel, Baylor Heart and Vascular Hospital and University of Texas - Southwestern.
The DISD School to Careers program is funded by WorkSource for Dallas County. For information about the program, call Leta Durrett at (972) 749-2504.