Amy Zhang wants to be an electrical engineer.
Chris Dinache plans a career in auto mechanics.
Nathan Lafrancois seeks a part-time job on a golf course.
And Jade Leung yearns to be a veterinarian after graduation.
They are four of 43 students in the Work Experience 12 class at Coquitlam’s Dr. Charles Best Secondary, a program now running for the second year after a decade-long hiatus at the Como Lake Avenue high school.
Instructed by Kumi Abercrombie, the four-credit course teaches teens about how to get a job, as well as employment standards and salary expectations.
And, this month, she and the students are appealing to the business community in the Tri-Cities to help find volunteer work placements until the end of January.
“We need employers to step forward to host unpaid work experiences for our students,” Abercrombie told the Tri-City News today, Oct. 21.
“The aim is to build community, provide entry-level skills and career exploration.”
Some students have already obtained part-time volunteer work through the program, Abercrombie said: the City of Coquitlam has a partnership with the school through its recreation department to provide unpaid youth gigs, while other students have found after-school, evening or weekend employment with pharmacies and vet offices, and companies like Mathnasium.
What’s required of business owners is two or three consistent shifts a week — for a total of 80 to 90 hours. And Work Experience 12 students are allowed to start working at 2 p.m. instead of after the 3 p.m. bell.
Abercrombie said any type of business is welcome to offer a volunteer job to a student; however, remote working may not be suitable as the teens are seeking a hands-on, learning environment, she said.
Industries in computers, fashion, retail, customer service, trades, construction, graphic design and hair dressing are especially welcome to apply.
Last year, Abercrombie said, several Work Experience 12 students got full-time, paid work after their volunteer school stint.
“I want to be a vet, so being in a vet office right now is helping me learn a lot,” said Leung, a 17-year-old Grade 12 student.
To offer a placement to a Work Experience 12 student at Dr. Charles Best Secondary, you can email [email protected].
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