What are certain jobs really like and what does it take to get them? That’s what a new high school Career Cab program hopes students will see by taking them to look at jobs they are interested in and giving them a chance to connect to local professionals.
High school students are jumping on the “Career Cab,” a white PSD mini-bus, to visit businesses and professions they are interested in pursuing either after high school or college. Some field trips this semester include visiting the Fort Collins Fire Department, City Services, and a Cosmetology business and training program.
“I didn’t know half the stuff about Fire Science,” said one student after their visit with firefighters. “I thought it was all about burning buildings. I went on the trip and learned CPR, which was so cool. The Career Cab is an eye-opening experience. You get to go somewhere that not many people see and get the behind-the-scenes look at what the job actually is.”
Currently the Career Cab program is available to Poudre and Rocky Mountain High School students. Cassie Poncelow, PHS counselor and co-organizer of Career Cab, hopes the program will help students see the world differently.
“I want them to realize how many opportunities are available to them and exactly what they need to do to take advantage of them,” said Poncelow. “When we get on the Career Cab, I always tell students, ‘The people you meet today might be the people who interview you in a couple of years. This is your chance to make connections with real people doing jobs you might want to do."
Students not only learn about the jobs, but also what they need to do to help land a position.
“On most of our trips we have partnered with a training program that will talk with students about the education and training that they need to work in the field,” said Poncelow.
Here are comments from students about their Career Cab experience:
https://epresence.psdschools.org/1/watch/1815.aspx?startTime=0
High school students are jumping on the “Career Cab,” a white PSD mini-bus, to visit businesses and professions they are interested in pursuing either after high school or college. Some field trips this semester include visiting the Fort Collins Fire Department, City Services, and a Cosmetology business and training program.
“I didn’t know half the stuff about Fire Science,” said one student after their visit with firefighters. “I thought it was all about burning buildings. I went on the trip and learned CPR, which was so cool. The Career Cab is an eye-opening experience. You get to go somewhere that not many people see and get the behind-the-scenes look at what the job actually is.”
Currently the Career Cab program is available to Poudre and Rocky Mountain High School students. Cassie Poncelow, PHS counselor and co-organizer of Career Cab, hopes the program will help students see the world differently.
“I want them to realize how many opportunities are available to them and exactly what they need to do to take advantage of them,” said Poncelow. “When we get on the Career Cab, I always tell students, ‘The people you meet today might be the people who interview you in a couple of years. This is your chance to make connections with real people doing jobs you might want to do."
Students not only learn about the jobs, but also what they need to do to help land a position.
“On most of our trips we have partnered with a training program that will talk with students about the education and training that they need to work in the field,” said Poncelow.
Here are comments from students about their Career Cab experience:
- “At the Hilton we got to see the “guts” of the hotel. We saw the kitchen where they were prepping hundreds of salads and the huge washing machines that they use. We went into the maintenance areas and learned about banquet setup. There are lots of jobs in a hotel that I didn’t know about and lots of ways to move up and get more education.“
- “At Gallegoes we saw all different parts of local company. I went because I am interested in welding and they make their own metal garbage cans. But learning about driving the trucks and the licensees you need was cool too. “
- “Career Cab is cool because I see people doing a lot of jobs that I don’t know anything about. I get to ask them what they do and how they got their job. Some of them are jobs that I might like to do,” says one student about the program.
https://epresence.psdschools.org/1/watch/1815.aspx?startTime=0