OC Pathways Partner to Engage and Empower Students

VirtualJobShadow.com is pleased to announce a partnership with OC Pathways, connecting virtual job shadowing and career exploration with the students of Orange County, CA. Amy Kaufman, Executive Director for OC Pathways said, "This is a terrific way to help provide work-based learning experiences across the spectrum to all students in OC Pathways." OC Pathways was established in 2014 through a California Career Pathways Trust grant and comprises 14 school districts, nine community college districts, two major universities, four Regional Occupational Programs, three workforce investment boards, over 100 businesses and numerous community partners.

Kaufman added, "VirtualJobShadow.com covered the career exploration piece for job shadowing, but also really addressed the formative assessment pieces with their career journal and pop quizzes."

OC Pathways was looking for a way to smooth student transition into postsecondary programs or the workforce. It was also looking to empower students with real career choices so they could know what's available and compatible with their individual interests. Kaufman said "The way the site is organized is very intuitive."

Kim Celentano, CEO of VirtualJobShadow.com, said, "Helping students make better connections between academics and career choices is essential to student growth. We're very excited to support OC Pathways, particularly with their mission to better equip students for college and career success."

A well-structured pilot program helped Orange County educators see how VirtualJobShadow.com would benefit students. Christopher Warrior, a teacher at El Modena High School in the city of Orange, participated in the pilot program. He used VirtualJobShadow.com in his classroom to help his students explore career paths they hadn't considered or knew existed. "In my classroom, many of my students aren't exactly certain what they want to do with the rest of their lives, so Virtual Job Shadow served as a great platform for them to explore the possible careers that are out there."

Warrior was pleased with the student engagement and its usefulness for all of his students. "It's a great tool to assist students who aren't really sure what they want to do, and it will also help students that are sure what they want to do—just reaffirm that they're making the correct decision."

After the success of the pilot program, OC Pathways adopted VirtualJobShadow.com as a feature of the Career Readiness Hub, which will engage, inform and empower the students of Orange County for years to come.

About VirtualJobShadow.com

VirtualJobShadow.com is used throughout the country for career exploration and career planning needs in school districts, colleges, career centers and workforce agencies.

About OC Pathways

The mission of OC Pathways is to facilitate collaboration among schools, colleges, and regional business and community partners to ensure that Orange County students are ready for college and career success through participation in learning experiences that integrate rigorous academics and career preparation. To learn more, visit www.ocpathways.com