TO: John Smith CEO
FROM: Alex Klein, Chairperson of Partnership Development Committee AK
SUBJECT: Recommendation for a Job Shadowing Program
DATE: March 30, 2013 RECOMMENDATION The Partnership Development Committee recommends that UT Federal Credit Union initiate a job-shadowing program for two students majoring in Business Management at Pellissippi State Community College in order to fulfill the Board of Director’s strategic goal to “develop strong partnerships with area colleges.” DEFINITIONS AND BENEFITS OF JOB SHADOW Job shadowing is a reciprocal program between business and education in which student interns follow professionals at work for a designated period of time to learn more about requirements for careers in the field. An article written for the Association for Career and Technical Education states, even though the students are not being paid, they receive other rewards: the chance to explore a career that is of interest to them, seeing the workforce environment firsthand and witnessing the necessary skills as applied on the job. Not only does job shadowing build career awareness, it can also reinforce student learning (Reese). Furthermore, job shadowing gives students the chance to see the work in action, to get a close-up look at what a career they’re considering will be like (Lozada). From this information it is clear that a job-shadowing program is beneficial to all parties. DESCRIPTION OF RECOMMENEDED PROJECT Intern Qualifications Because we predict over 40 students from PSCC will apply, eligible candidates must have acquired at least 32 hours of credit while maintaining a 3.5 GPA. Students must have taken ACCT 2000, MGMT 2000 and ENGL 2950. In addition, students must submit a one-two page essay on why they would be a good fit for the position. After narrowing to 10 candidates, the selection committee will conduct 15-minute interviews to select the two interns. Mentor
Cited: Lozada, Marlene. "Job shadowing career exploration at work: job shadowing is a 'best practice ' when it comes to work-based learning activities for young people, experts say, but its success is contingent on careful planning and effective follow up. (Cover Story)." Techniques 76.8 (2001): 30+. Academic OneFile. Web. 30 Mar. 2013. Reese, Susan. "Exploring the world of work through job shadowing: it is an opportunity for students to experience the real-world workplace, and more schools across the country are discovering the benefits of job shadowing." Techniques 80.2 (2005): 18+. Academic OneFile. Web. 30 Mar. 2013.