How One Day Inside a Workplace Can Change a Student’s Career Path

Image caption: A YES intern builds courage during a mock interview.

In Virginia, only about one in four high school students surveyed by the OECD had participated in a job shadow. More than half had never taken part in a worksite visit.

Students are learning about careers in classrooms, but many still don't have the opportunity to see those careers up close. The OECD's Career Readiness Review of Virginia identified employer engagement as an area where the Commonwealth has room to do more.

That's the kind of gap Junior Achievement of Central Virginia exists to help close.

On July 24, JA partnered with Virginia Credit Union and the City of Richmond's Youth Engagement Services (YES) program to bring a group of YES summer interns into VACU's Richmond offices for a full day of job shadowing: meeting employees, seeing the workplace and asking questions about how people actually built their careers.

What Students Took From the Day

For Deidre Reed, a YES intern working with the City of Richmond's Office of Community Wealth Building, one of the most meaningful parts of the day was learning more about what it means to be part of a credit union.

“You may sometimes feel lost, or just like another number or another bank account,” Deidre said. “But feeling, or being reminded, that you're part of a board, you're a member and not just a customer, that was really nice. I loved that.”

A conversation with a VACU employee named Carter gave her something else: a different way of thinking about her own career.

“He's someone who didn't start out in the financial realm, someone who didn't start out knowing what he wanted to do,” Deidre said. “Hearing how he transitioned into this career, and his passion for it now, it makes me feel very seen. I feel like there's hope for other people to get to where he is.”

Kyran Jones, another YES intern, came away with a similar realization. Several VACU employees he spoke with hadn't started their careers in banking. Some didn't have a degree specifically related to the work they do today.

“It's not about where you start, it's how you finish,” Kyran said.

His takeaway for his own next steps was practical: get better at networking.

“Talking to anybody from any different industry, you never know where you might end up.”

That's the value of a day like this. Students don't necessarily leave knowing exactly what career they want. They leave with a better understanding of what's possible, and with new people to help them imagine how they might get there.

Image caption: A VACU volunteer shares advice with a YES intern.

Why Access Matters

Tierra Hicks, YES Program Manager, said experiences like this are central to what YES is trying to build for the students it serves.

“Experiences like this are extremely important when you provide access to students who may not necessarily get it,” Tierra said. “They get a chance to talk to individuals in leadership to see what they can aspire to be.”

Being inside VACU's workplace is bringing classroom learning to life for these students.

“Being here on Virginia Credit Union's campus is really important so that they see individuals at work and can really connect it to the things we talk about in classes.”

Rapheal Johnson, Engagement Specialist for Older Youth with the City's YES program, put it even more simply:

“Talent to me is everywhere,” he said. “It's a matter of exposure. It's getting the youth to see what those opportunities look like.”

Building the Bridge

Virginia is putting greater emphasis on connecting students with real workplaces. The Virginia Department of Education now defines high-quality work-based learning around sustained engagement with industry professionals and applying classroom learning in real-world settings.

Schools and youth-serving organizations like YES know their students. Businesses know what careers in their fields actually look like. JA helps bring those pieces together. It's a role Junior Achievement of Central Virginia has played in the Richmond region for 60 years: helping young people move from learning about the world of work to experiencing it.

Thank you to Virginia Credit Union for opening its doors and to the City of Richmond's YES team for the partnership.

Help Give Students Their Own Day of Access

Businesses and community members can help connect young people with the people, workplaces and experiences that make career possibilities real.