Establishing job shadow experiences has a lot of moving parts. It is helpful to refer to the OSPI Work-Based & Worksite Learning Guide to ensure that all the components are addressed.

Roles and Responsibilities

When establishing Job Shadow Experiences, there is a shift in roles of who is leading the focus. Students should be encouraged and supported to take the lead in the process. This is a shift in roles that allows for a gradual release of responsibility to the student. When the student identifies their areas of interest, guiding them to people and information that will support their job shadow is important.

Student
- Identifies career interests
- Identifies possible jobs
Staff
- Locates placements
- Coordinates logistics with the workplace
- Confirms logistics (the student could do this)
- Prepares students to maximize learning

Don’t forget about the School Counselor and CTE staff as important partners in this endeavor! You may need to assist the student in knowing who, what, and how to ask the questions that will lead them to a successful job shadow. Since this is a new task for a student, a checklist, instructions on the components of the list, and support to the student to maximize learning while at the job shadow is imperative.

As facilitator, provide support rather than having all the answers. Engage in dialogue and discussion, guiding students to think through their interests, concerns, etc.
As advocate, model and communicate to students that you believe they can succeed and that you are there for them.
As teacher, continue to provide resources, instruction for exploring, and learning.

The student continues to tap into your expertise and resources, but there is a shift in who takes a more active, primary role in requesting or seeking out the information.

Student Identifies Career Interests

Career interest surveys
Online video exploration (e.g., Career One Stop)
Review of IEP, age-appropriate transition assessment information

There are many resources for students to identify their career interests. As part of the High School and Beyond Plan, the first interest inventory is accomplished in the 7^th or 8^th grade.

As part of the IEP that includes transition, students will have completed an age-appropriate transition assessment beginning the year that transition is included in the IEP and subsequent years after.

Assessment tools can be found in the T-Folio, Writing Effective Transition Plans online modules, Career Center in the high school, and online. Online sites such as Career One Stop can provide students with virtual job tours and information to prepare them for their job shadow and perhaps narrow down the areas of interest.

Student Identifies Possible Jobs

As the student begins to identify their areas of interest, strengths, preferences and needs, it is helpful to explore how that information may compare to the descriptions of jobs, skills, preparation, etc.

Sites such as My Next Move can provide a great deal of information to the student regarding knowledge, skills, abilities, personality traits, technology used, required education, job outlook, and other jobs to explore.

Staff Locates Placements

There are many resources in the school and the community that can be helpful in locating job shadow placements.

One of the first places to start is with your career center and school counseling office. They often have contacts established with businesses for this very purpose!

Additional resources in schools are the CTE courses and instructors. For each CTE area, there is an advisory committee made up of community members who are often the key to establishing Job Shadow placements and well as potential training opportunities and jobs.

School districts often have Work-Based Learning committees that are also made up of community members and others who can be resources for potential sites. And, of course, the Chamber of Commerce is a wealth of information about businesses in the community.

The next page includes an example of a request for a job shadow opportunity that you can use when connecting with businesses. It is important to ensure that the guidelines of the OSPI Work-Based & Worksite Learning Guide are followed as you develop the sites and activities.

Next: Making Contact