Business & Tech

CACTC Students Take Part in Job Shadow Day

The students got a day-long look at jobs and careers at the Rhode Island Convention Center and GTECH.

Junior Achievement (JA) of Rhode Island in conjunction with the RI Hospitality Education Foundation (RIHEF) and Tech Collective recently provided more than 100 Rhode Island students from Academy for Career Exploration, Cranston Career & Technical Center, Davies Career & Technical High School, Exeter Job Corps Academy, and Woonsocket Area Career & Technical Center with an opportunity to shadow workplace mentors from the Providence Biltmore, the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, GTECH, and the Rhode Island Convention Center. Students were given a day-long opportunity to learn about various hospitality staff roles, to participate in hands-on job training, and to see how skills learned in the classroom translate to the workplace.

For the past eight years, JA of Rhode Island has partnered with RIHEF to highlight the wealth of career opportunities available in the industry. This is the fifth year RIHEF has partnered with Tech Collective, the Industry Partner for IT and Bioscience, to focus on information technology and its application to the hospitality industry.  

“We are proud to continue our partnership with Junior Achievement to highlight the many career opportunities within the hospitality industry,” said Dale Venturini, president & CEO of the RIHEF. “Through our continued collaboration with the Tech Collective, we are especially proud to demonstrate to students how information technology is used within the hospitality industry.”

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Currently, there are more than 60,000 Rhode Islanders working in the hospitality industry, making it the fourth largest in the state and an economic powerhouse. Information Technology (IT) and Digital Media sectors currently employ nearly 16,000 professionals.

"Through JA Job Shadow Day, we hope that students learned that there are many opportunities available to them in hospitality and technology, and that they gained valuable practical experience," said Lee Lewis, president of Junior Achievement of Rhode Island. "This type of activity is what Junior Achievement is all about. Through job shadowing, students see the practical applications of classroom lessons carried out by professionals and can connect the importance of schoolwork to their future dreams and aspirations.”

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 “On the morning of the JA Job Shadow, Lee told the students that 35% of young adults do not know anyone in their field of interest,” said JoAnn Johnson, manager of youth and education programs for Tech Collective. “Year after year JA continues to break down that barrier, offering students real-world insights and experiences connected to their chosen field of study and future career path. Tech Collective is proud to continue to work with JA, RIHEF, and our industry partners to provide such a valuable opportunity to our students and future workforce.” 


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