One-day workplacement/Job shadowing activity

 

A One-day workplacement/Job shadowing is an unpaid experience where a student follows a manager or a technician for a short period of time to learn about a particular occupation. This activity helps students explore the world of work, before having their certificate, and the range of opportunities found within an occupational area.

 

A One-day workplacement/Job shadowing helps students develop realistic outlooks on careers and the competencies required; shows them workplaces they otherwise might not have an opportunity to know about or experience and it allows them to  connect what they are learning in the classroom to the skills needed to succeed in careers.

It can also help students to define and explore their own career interests and discover career paths, including higher education that will enable them to achieve their career goals.

 

During the project, our school provided One-day workplacements/Job shadowing activities for 14 students.

 

Here are some of their opinions on it.

 

During this school year I had the chance to experience two job shadowing activities.

The first one took place at CONTINENTAL MABOR, an international company with a branch office in Lousado which produces tyres. I shadowed one of the technicians who showed me the production process of tyres and the programming of the machines. I also attended a meeting with him and learned how decisions are made in big exporting companies like this one.

The second job shadowing activity, in collaboration with the program Junior Achievement,  was held at Meo, a telecommunications and multimedia company. My program mentor was an engineer who showed me the functioning of some of the central departments and who allowed me to participate in some maintenance works.

I think these activities are very important as we, students, can get to know the real world of work.

 João Carneiro, TMI 13/16

 

My one-day work placement took place in Carnes Carneiro, in Lousado. During this day I shadowed one of the company managers, engineer Carla Alves and I spent some time in all the different company departments, from production to packaging and labelling and I had the chance to perform some tasks in all of them. The end ended with the checking of the safety and hygiene rules followed in the different production lines.

I think this activity was very important for me as I had the chance to observe and understand how a food processing company operates and I had the opportunity to increasing my skills and knowledge on my future area of work.

Ana Barbosa, TPQA 12/15

 

I think my job shadowing experience was great as I could contact with a real company and deal with the problems and opportunities which could arise.

In collaboration with the program Junior Achievement I spent a day at EDP, the major national electricity supplier, where my program mentor showed me and explained me some of the departments’ responsibilities and tasks.

I participated in some maintenance works and attended a meeting where I got to know how big this company is and its areas of influence.

Jorge Oliveira, TMI 12/15

 

My job shadowing activity, in collaboration with the program Junior Achievement , took place in one of the biggest and most important private hospitals in Portugal. Its name is CUF Porto Hospital.

My program mentor showed me the different departments in the hospital

before we got to his work station.

Mr. Fábio Santos has been the receptionist responsible for all the patients related with three different areas of treatment, so he has a lot of experience in this job. I watched him working for some time and them I was allowed to check in a patient.

Juliana Dias, TG 13/16

 

I had the opportunity to spend a day shadowing a maintenance technician at TESCO, an international company with a factory plant in Ribeirão, a village nearby our school. This factory produces parts for cars and I had the chance to observe all the assembly line.

My program mentor was a former student from FORAVE, who now works there, and who explained me all the maintenance plan and who I helped in some small tasks.

I think this experience was great for me as I will be entering the world of work next year.

Luis Carneiro, TMI 13/16

 

I undertook two one-day work placements in two very different companies. One was, in collaboration with the program Junior Achievement,at EFACEC, SA, a company which operates in the electric field and the other was at E.Leclerc, a chain of French supermarkets.

At EFACEC, SA, I shadowed José Moutinho, the Production Director who invited me to attend some meetings in the Production, Sales and Human Resources Departments. José Moutinho also showed me several departments in the company and I also had the opportunity to observe the production lines.

Although this company doesn´t operate in a sector related with my course of studies, I think this day was very important as I could observe and understand how a real company works and I got some important advices from professional experts for my future work.

During the day I spent at E.Leclerc, with Engineer Cátia Mendes, I participated in several daily tasks that were related with my course of studies as we didn´t safety and hygiene control checks and I participated in some meetings and understood how a supermarket is managed and operates. 

I think these days I spent in both companies were very important for my future career because I could improve my skills and knowledge and could observe in the real world of work many of the subjects I have been taught at school.

Mariana Fereira, TPQA 12/15

 

My job shadowing activity, in collaboration with the program Junior Achievement, took place in one of the biggest and most important Portuguese companies. I spent my day at Sonae where my program mentor, Engineer Pedro Tróia allowed me to attend some meetings related with the methodology Lean and the program Kaizen.

My mentor showed me several departments of the company and answered all my questions about their operations. He also explained me his professional background and gave me some advices for my future life.

I think this experience was really important for me because it gave me the chance to understand how a company works and to observe in a real work environment some of the subjects and theories we learned at school. It was also important because observing all the people working at SONAE, I became aware of the area of work I really want to pursue.

Beatriz Correia, TG 12/15