Career Readiness Volunteers (Virtual opportunities available!)

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Overview: Young people need to be aware of and exposed to different careers and employability skills. Schools, nonprofits, and other educational entities are in need of positive role models to help prepare young people for life after high school. The school districts are working hard to make sure all students are graduating with a college and career plan, but the resounding message schools have expressed is "We can’t do it alone." Young people need your expertise, experiences, and community involvement to educate them in ways schools typically can’t.

Objective: The MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board seeks to engage interested individuals and businesses in local career readiness volunteer opportunities. On a regular basis, the Workforce Board will share these opportunities via email. You can choose an option that aligns with your career or expertise/interests.
Signing up for the mailing list does not commit you to a volunteer activity - you select opportunities as they’re available.

Business Liaisons

• Creates and maintains connections between schools/youth agencies and businesses.
• Examples:
  • Become an ambassador at your workplace - attend career fairs, arrange speakers, or another activity!
  • Help spread the word about these volunteer opportunities or arrange a job shadow day (see below for more on ways your company can get involved)
  • Serve on the BWB Youth Council serving to create and oversee the region’s career readiness offerings.

Company Tours/ Career-Related Field Trips:

• Visits and tours at a workplace where students observe workplace activities and/or listen to presentations by professionals about their work and careers.
• Example:Tour of a bio-tech company, manufacturing facility, hospital lab; hands-on experience in a college science lab; and engineering days at a science museum.
  • Students prepare by learning about the company and the industry associated with it and developing questions. Follow up includes a reflection activity.

Informational Interviews:

• A one-on-one or small group interview, in which a student or job seeker asks a professional questions about his or her career. Interviews may be in person, on the phone or online. Questions are researched and prepared ahead of time, answers are recorded and a reflection is written, with adult staff support.
• Example: A volunteer from a business or organization agrees to participate in the interview with a student, taking the time to talk with them about their industry/career and being available for follow-up questions.

Job Shadow Days:

• A career exploration activity in which students spend several hours or more at a workplace following and observing an employee through his or her work day.
• Job shadow experiences are usually several hours long, with opportunity for reflection after the experience.
• Examples: A student is interested in the Healthcare Industry, so a job shadow with a CNA (Certified Nurse’s Assistant) is arranged at a local hospital.
• COMPACT for Education Career Expo for 10 th graders (regional):
  • Objective for this day-long event is that students be able to experience professionals in real work settings in the Berkshires. Local businesses host a group of students who are interested in their industry and provide a job shadow experience at their workplace, typically for about an hour and a half.

Career Speaker:

• Speaks about personal career pathway or on the topic of career pathways within their industry.
• Speakers typically talk about their own experiences and about the education and skills needed for entry into their career field.
• No minimum length is indicated; often presentations occur during a single class. A career speaker could commit to a session or a series of sessions.
• Features include opportunities for students to prepare questions ahead of time and opportunities for students to follow up though class discussion, written reflection, online research or other follow-up.