I had the opportunity to go back to school on Tuesday. I was invited by Chatelech Secondary School and their Career and Personal Planning (CAPP) program to be part of a panel of employers at a Grade 10 CAPP day.School District Superintendent Stewart Hercus and Michelle Morton from SCRD parks and recreation joined me on the panel.We all got a chance to pass on to the students a little of what our jobs entail, what we do when we look at potential employees and tips on resumes and career planning.I always get a kick out of talking about myself, so this assignment was pretty easy.Not only did I get a chance to brag a bit about myself and the newspaper, but I also learned a bit more about my two colleagues at the table.I found it interesting to note that I share with Mr. Hercus many of the same philosophies, even though we come from very different backgrounds and career fields.He also put me on the hot seat and turned the tables, when it's usually me calling him up for an interview, something I know he took some pleasure in.CAPP is a Ministry of Education-designated course with a curriculum for Grades 8 to 12.During the day on Tuesday, students went through the employment session, a sex education seminar and a leadership seminar which focused on working as a team.While I was sitting on the panel answering questions and trying to hand out advice, I tried to think back to when I was in Grade 10.I'll have to admit I really didn't have a clue what I wanted to do after graduating high school, much like many of the students to whom I was introduced on Tuesday.I went through a similar CAPP program, but I can safely say I can't remember getting this type of advice on careers and planning when I was in high school.Things were different 10 or 12 years ago. Jobs were plentiful and it seemed a lot of them didn't require too much in the way of high-level degrees or diplomas.Now almost every job requires at least Grade 12, and most jobs require more degrees or diplomas than many students care to go to school to achieve.I was impressed with this program and the students in general.We asked the three groups of roughly 40 students we saw during the afternoon whether any of them currently had jobs.I was pleasantly surprised to note that almost half the students were employed and many had already gone through job interviews.I figure this is a good sign and shows that kids nowadays care about their futures and want to achieve their goals.Teachers at Chat asked me whether I could be put in the hot seat again and I certainly would.I hope on this sunny Tuesday, when many students probably wished they were outside playing in the sun, that some of my words of wisdom will help them in the future.
