Thibodaux chamber program puts teens to work

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Benton Trosclair is thinking about entering the medical field as an ultimate career, but last week he focused his attention on retail business.

“[Retail] might not be what I want to go into, but I definitely want to learn more about it,” the E.D. White High School senior said as he arranged a floor display of printing paper boxes during job-shadowing day at Office Depot in Thibodaux. “This helps you get a firsthand look at the daily way business is run.”

Trosclair was one of 13 students that participated in the initial Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce job-shadow program of 2012. Bringing together students from E.D. White and other Thibodaux high schools with area businesses, chamber members initiate efforts to show students what to expect in the real world of work and assist them in exploring career options.

“We think the job shadow is very beneficial to most participants,” Thibodaux chamber President Kathy Benoit said. “We have had students in the past come back to us to report that their shadow day confirmed their future career interests. On the other hand, we have had a few students in the past who have made comments like, ‘I didn’t know there was so much paperwork in xyz career. I don’t think I want to do that after all.’ So it really helps students make important decisions that will affect the rest of their lives.”

Office Depot manager Eric Rodrigue said this was the first year his business participated in the program, and he knows there are benefits for both students and employers. “It gives [a student] a look at the workplace, and gives us a look at what kind of [prospective employee] is available,” he said.

Woody Falgoust is a lawyer in Thibodaux who was given the opportunity to show his career activity to Thibodaux High School senior Natalie Daigle. During the morning, Daigle observed a house sale closing under Falgoust’s tutelage. Later in the day, Falgoust showed the shadow participant how to prepare for court in an eviction case.

“I love it,” Daigle said. “It is very interesting. I’m thinking about going into corporate law so this is good for me.”

“You can learn about these jobs in books,” Falgoust said. “You can hear stories about how they work, but there is nothing like first-hand up-close observation.”

Falgoust is among the business owners and supervisors in various fields that have begun to tout the benefits of not only job shadowing, but internships and apprentice programs.

“Law schools definitely need a more clinically-based approach,” the Thibodaux attorney said. “We really didn’t have skills classes [in law school]. There weren’t internships like you see in medical professions. They don’t turn doctors and nurses loose until they have actually treated a patient. When you graduate from law school you still haven’t represented anyone, even on an apprentice basis with a supervising attorney.”

Research by the CareerArc Group supports benefits of job shadowing and internships not only in terms of education, but for investing in a skilled workforce. According to this organization, more than 83 percent of interns were offered jobs at the completion of their study program. In the present workforce more than 35 percent of entry-level college hires come from intern programs.

“We are big proponents of having activities other than classroom settings,” Lafourche School District spokesman Floyd Benoit said. “It is wonderful when they can get out in the real world and see what jobs entail.”

Students participating in the Thibodaux chamber job-shadowing program were selected by completing applications and writing reports on the fields that interest them. The reports contained information on educational requirements to qualify for a given position, job responsibilities and expected income.

“The professionals who are shadowed also enjoy the experience of sharing their knowledge and expertise with an up and coming future colleague,” chamber president Benoit said.

In addition to Trosclair and Daigle, participating students and their assigned job shadowing sites included from E. D. White High: Sam Daigle at Thibodaux Regional Medical Center Outpatient Room; Mary Walton at Lloyd’s Remedies; Sydni Faucheaux at Jones Dermatology; Nicole Dominique with Angela Corbin at Nicholls State University Gouaux Hall; Dayla Rich at the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office; Adam Lefort at Lafourche Parish Government; Hailey Chiasson at St. Joseph Elementary School; and Colby Quatrevigt at the Thibodaux Regional Medical Center Education Department.

Students from Thibodaux High and their job shadow locations include: Alexis Bourgeois at the Ridgefield Animal Hospital; Adrain Smith at West Thibodaux Middle School; and Hunter Cortez at Acadian Ambulance.