During lunch this November, students can digest their food and gain newfound knowledge about future careers. The Career Exploration Lunch and Learn series will be hosted in the Media Center during all lunches every Thursday. This opportunity is open to all students who want to learn about potential careers of their interest directly from business representatives. Instruction on various careers will also be provided.
Career Development Coordinator Kimberly Hayes was ecstatic to bring this event to students and spark their curiosity for their future.
“I wanted to expose students to some of the high demand career paths and allow them time to speak with industry representatives to better understand the careers available and what they should be doing now to prepare themselves to be successful in college or the workplace,” Hayes said.
Students find these presentations compelling and exciting, especially underclassmen who might not know what field they want to pursue. Sophomore Zyran McKinney attended the session on Information Technology and Cyber Security on Nov.16.
“They had a lot of good meanings and actual implications like how you could do projects or clubs. [I like] the way that they actually have places where you can actually make apps,” McKinney said.
Business representatives also enjoy coming in and assisting students in finding their purpose and giving them enrichment opportunities to try out.
“I love getting in front of students as much as I can because these are the folks that are going to be joining our programs very soon, and high school is a critical point at exposing students to what opportunities they have, especially in our IT department,” Forsyth Tech Program Coordinator for Cybersecurity and System Security Victoria Ferrell said.
Hayes wanted to make career discovery easier for students to access during the school day, but planned it to accommodate their classes.
“Offering the lunch-n-learn sessions during third period allows students the opportunity to visit with the industry or educational reps during their lunch break rather than pulling them from valuable class instructional time. I’m sure the teachers appreciate that,” Hayes said.
Students attending these events are encouraged to pack their lunches due to the first-come-first-serve availability in the Media Center. Additional career presentations will be held on Thursday, November 30. The final session will instead take place in February and will focus on health sciences and medical careers will occur in February.
“I hope students get a better understanding of what skills and education may be needed to pursue a career in the pathway they are interested in. Connecting students to real-world experiences and jobs that have a promising future is what CTE is all about,” Hayes said.