On Tuesday, April 9, sixth graders from Helena Public Schools got a crash course in some future jobs.
We stopped by Dick Anderson Construction and St. Peter’s Health.
This is all a part of HPS new sixth-grade Career Exploration Experience.
For the first time, HPS has partnered with multiple different business and community partners to allow their 600 sixth-grade students to experience up to nine different future job paths.
“We had heard the students really only now the careers their parents do and they don’t know what all is out there,” said Bethany Coe, the Prevention Specialist for Lewis and Clark County.
On April 3, students from Helena Middle School kicked off the program. Tuesday, April 9, was CR Anderson’s turn.
Students are divided into groups of about 22 students and each group will visit a total of three locations.
There is a total of five locations and three different experiences at each location.
“So very important. I think this is their first snapshot into the world of what a career might be for them and it gives them exposure to the massive amount of opportunity they have,” Cecily Townsend, the Volunteer Program Supervisor for St. Peters Health said.
At St. Peter’s students learned CPR, talked about emergency preparedness in a hospital, talked through different tools nurses use and used VR headsets to surgically fix a knee.
At Dick Anderson Construction students helped guide a crane into a trash can with proper construction site hand signals, use a saw to cut and fit trim into a box and learned about the construction of power lines from Northwestern Energy.
“I’ve kind of been thinking about the construction site, like the power line one. Not having to go to college but get paid to learn and having fun in the job is the one I like,” said Audriauna Jones, a CR Anderson 6th grader.
“Today made me think that there’s not just the big jobs like doctor, lawyer and there are many jobs that come with it,” Catheryne Rasmussen, a CR Anderson 6th grader said.
Helena Public Schools plans to continue this program with future students and allow the current ones to keep experiencing future careers every year through the completion of high school.
