Take our kids to work day

Thousands of grade nine students across the country were out of the classroom and into the workplace today.

The 20th annual “Take Our Kids to Work Day” gives students a chance to tag along with a family member or friend, to get their first real look at what life could be like after school.

“Don’t let anybody else touch the wires as well.”

First, it’s a lesson in safety.

16 grade nine students crowd around the “highline hazard unit” for a demonstration of what to do — and what not to do when in a dangerous electrical situation.

Jennifer Lindley, Horizon Utilities: “For example, the importance of calling before you dig, and if there is a downed wire, the safety aspects of that and making sure they stay away from the wire.”

For take our kids to work day, Horizon Utilities tries to keep it interactive.

“Every time there is a power interruption.”

From touring the company’s control room — to getting the opportunity to talk to employees about their career path. Hunter Lancia says the day has given him a greater appreciation for what his dad does: “I’ve learned that there’s as many different aspects to a company — more than just working on poles and cords. There’s things like conserving energy and stuff.”

“Did you know a lot about what went on in the building that your mom works in before today?” Mikayla MacIntyre: “She talks to my dad a lot so I hear stories about stuff that happens but I didn’t really know what happened.”

Mikayla MacIntyre is one of nearly 65-hundred students in Hamilton job shadowing at businesses all around the city: “I think it’s really cool because you get to see what actually happens so if you end up getting a job for something like that than you get to know earlier what happens.”

While it’s still a bit early in life for many of these students to know where their careers will take them.

The hope is “Take our Kids to Work Day” will spark some inspiration.

250-thousand grade nine students participate in the day across Canada each year. Educational charity “The learning partnership” founded the day in 1994 — while they say they know through personal accounts that the program has influenced some student’s career direction. They don’t keep track of any statistics that show the number of grade 9’s that end up working at their placement later on in life.