Kennedy has a long-standing relationship with Kirkwood Community College’s Workplace Learning Connection. For years this allowed students to have the opportunity to see what jobs they are more suited to through job shadows.
Workplace Learning Connection has two types of job shadows. Career exploration days allow students to explore jobs in a broader field, while career opportunities focus on one particular job.
According to Kennedy Job Shadow Liaison Maddison LeClere, this program helps prepare students for the future through hands-on experience.
“A job shadow will always be an awesome opportunity even if the career ends up not being something the student is interested in pursuing,” LeClere said. “It could save you a lot of time and money in the long run.”
The program offers a variety of jobs to shadow ranging from agriculture to business.
“For me, the big thing is I want students to have some better sense of what they want to do with their lives once they get out of high school,” Kennedy Principal Jason Kline said.
With the time and cost of post-high school education, job shadows are a good tool to help decide what you want to do in the future.
“Most people around the country don’t have anything like this,” Kline said. “And nothing that’s free like this.”
Applications for Kennedy’s job shadow program close at 3 p.m. on Sept. 22 for sophomores through seniors.
