This year’s Take Our Kids To Work Day was held on Nov. 1. Take Our Kids to Work Day is recognized annually and provides Grade 9 students with an opportunity to explore careers and workplaces in Manitoba.
“Take Our Kids to Work Day is a great opportunity for Grade 9 students in Manitoba to get first-hand experience in the working world,” said Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Nello Altomare. “For many young people, it is their first experience participating in the workforce. The hands-on experiences are so helpful as students begin planning their future careers.”
Each year, thousands of Manitoba students participate in Take Our Kids to Work Day. Students go to work with parents, caregivers or other family members to learn about a wide range of professions, including government, law enforcement, medical, manufacturing, technology, farming, trades and other services that contribute to Manitoba’s economy.
During Take Our Kids to Work Day, students participate in supervised activities that allow them to experience a real working environment while maintaining students’ safety. In the following days at school, students complete in-class assignments and discuss their experiences so their classmates can learn more about a wide range of careers.
A pair of Miami School Grade 9 students had interesting Take Our Kids To Work days in Nyah Dyck and Ava.
Ava stayed at Miami School and followed Ms. M for the day.
“I helped build a bulletin board, read a book, watched a movie, and observed good teaching skills,” said Ava. “My highlight of the day was finishing the bulletin board for the school.”
Nyah Dyck left the school for the day and went to the Manitou Building Center and shadowed Wally Cobb and Josh Friesen.
“I got there, and they told me all about all the different materials they sell, went on a field trip to an apartment they are redoing, and then drew out a floor plan and measurements for it,” said Nyah Dyck. “I got to design an apartment on a website called SoftPlan and had furniture added to see what it would look like in 3-D.”
Dyck’s highlight of the day was designing a house online and making it come to life.
But did it make her want to go into that career?
“Yes, but there are things I didn’t think about before. You have to gain people’s trust, and I didn’t know it was a people-person type job. I still want to go into that career, but I have to work on my communication skills. It deals with math every day, which I like, and it involves expression of creativity.”
When asked what is the one thing that you want younger kids to know going into Take Our Kids To Work Day next year, Dyck said, “Don’t have your mind set on one thing, as there are a lot of different options for a career.”
Since it began in 1994, well over 200,000 Manitoba students have participated in Take Our Kids to Work Day. For more information, please visit www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/cardev/toktw.html
