Groundhog Job Shadow Day

National Groundhog Job Shadow Day on February 2^nd every year, is a national initiative that encourages professionals to provide job-hunting experience to students. Inspire the next generation of professionals to pursue careers and create public awareness of the hard work and economic contributions you make to your community.

History of Groundhog Job Shadow Day

Groundhog Job Shadow Day provides young people with a job search experience where they can get a close look at jobs they may want to pursue and can learn about specific industries and careers in industries. This day helps students think about what education and skills are needed for specific jobs and helps them see the connection between academics and careers — between what they learn in school and knowledge. Groundhog Job Shadow Day shows students they have options and helps motivate them. It also builds community partnerships between schools and businesses and fosters positive relationships between youth and adults. It is not designed to be just a one-day event, but to encourage job search throughout the year.

Groundhog Job Shadow Day takes place on the same day as Groundhog Day, with its name being a play of that holiday. On Groundhog Job Shadow Day, youth shadow workers at their workplace, while on Groundhog Day, groundhogs are taken outside and monitored to see if they're looking. see his shadow or not. Before becoming a national holiday in 1998, Groundhog Job Shadow Day was celebrated at the local level. In 1996, the Boston Board of Private Industry and Boston schools sponsored the first Groundhog Job Day, in which approximately 300 students from four Boston high schools participated, including officials and workers from Boston businesses. This date was again marked in Massachusetts in February 1997.

Later that year, the National Job Shadow Coalition was established and they made Groundhog Job Shadow Day national the following year. The original coalition consisted of America - Alliance for Youth (now known as America's Promise Alliance); School-to-Work, which is a federal initiative administered by the US Department of Education and the US Department of Labor; Academic achievements; Association for Technical and Career Education; and the Human Resource Management Association. More than 100,000 students participated in 1998, and by 2011, more than a million students and 100,000 businesses were participating each year.

How to celebrate Groundhog Job Shadow Day

Celebrate the day by shadowing work or by letting a young person chase you at your job. Workers for nonprofits, for-profit businesses, and local governments can all mentor someone today. If you are a worker, see if you can connect with a young person of the day, and vice versa, if you are a young person, see if you can connect with someone in an industry that you care or not. If you're a parent, you can help your child find someone to work in the dark. Organizations like Junior Achievement and the American Promise Alliance can provide more resources related to this day. With Groundhog Job Shadow Day, employees, employers, schools, youth and community leaders can work together to build a stronger community and brighter future.