Look and learn at the workplace

Finding a job is usually the last thing on a teenager's mind but 200 Form 4 students took up the opportunity to spend a week shadowing people in their daily jobs and some of them ended up actually liking it.

Naomi Camilleri, 14, decided to help out in a kindergarten, working with children. "I was impressed with the love kindergarten teachers have for the children."

It was the first working experience for Ms Camilleri, who attends St Margaret's College, Girls Secondary School, Verdala, and she loved it. "I learnt you have to be dedicated and patient to work with children."

Kurt Bonello, 15, from St Margaret's College Fortini Annexe, spent a week working in the kitchens at James Caterers. "I was shown how they work and I also managed to help out a bit. I enjoyed it," he admitted.

His peer from the Boys Secondary School in Verdala, Jeremy Farrugia, 15, was assigned to shadowing a helper in a home for the elderly. "I learnt a lot. You need care and dedication to work with the elderly and they were very helpful."

They were just three of the students from three schools, part of St Margaret's College, who recently took part in job shadowing week, which is held annually.

The students formed small groups of not more than five and, with the help of guidance teachers, had the chance to pick a job from the 57 available, ranging from the catering industry to insurance, maintenance to hairdressing and accounting to real estate, to mention just a few.

Even though it was just for one week, the students learnt about the responsibility attached to the job and the importance of being punctual, for example.

All the students who took part were given a certificate during a ceremony at St Margaret's College when Ray Vella, assistant head of the college, said the job shadowing experience gave the students a taste of the workplace and motivated them to continue studying after finishing secondary education.

It was launched 11 years ago for Form 5 students to give them a glimpse of the careers they could go for, an idea that was well received by both students and employers. Four years ago, the job shadowing week was organised for students in Form 4 because these were not as caught up with exams, the head of St Margaret's school, James Camilleri explained.

One of the employers involved in the initiative, Jonathan Attard, from the Sports Promotion Unit within the Malta Sports Council, said the job shadowing experience removed a huge barrier for the students. "Employers can no longer invoke lack of experience as an excuse. Even though it was for a week, the students were given the chance to use their talents," he said.