Parkview Elementary students took part in a career exploration workshop, broadening their horizons for the future.
More than 30 students participated in the online learning opportunity on Tuesday, March 7, during which guest presenters talked about their careers, the students answered questions and shared their future career ideas.
The program is being tested by the B.C. Education Ministry after a partnership was formed with U.K.-based nonprofit Education and Employers.
The nonprofit puts forward educational programming to challenge gender stereotypes and other hurdles in the workforce, connecting volunteers and children, showing young people their career options and broadening access to education to achieve career goals, said School District 83 career education coordinator George Richard.
The ministry has partnered with SD83 and other districts in the province for the pilot program. It connects grade schools with relatable role models from as many areas of the workforce as possible.
Five and six-year-old students guessed three panel members’ jobs by asking questions the guests could only answer yes or no to, and students could not simply list careers and narrow it down – the questions had to be creative, said Richard.
Students then got an explanation of the unique careers which included an electrician, a heavy equipment operator and a millwright, all of them women. Other B.C. school districts are taking part in the pilot as well, and a review of the program will be done before students go on March break.
In District 83, a class of fourth and fifth graders at North Canoe Elementary took part on Feb. 24, and all Grade 6 to 8 students at Carlin Elementary Middle School participated in the career program on March 1.
“I’m imagining that if the ministry of education is interested, they might be able to provide some seed money to provide a potential database for teachers to be able to access people across the province and do this exercise in the kindergarten to grade 8 classes,” said Richard.
“I think it did go quite well, especially for the older children as they can be more responsive to that.”
Anyone interested in career programs can contact SD 83 career education coordinator George Richard at 778-824-1188 or at grichard@sd83.bc.ca.
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