Some SD83 Students Seeing a Future in Health Care
If this visit was any indication, there are many SD83 students interested in future careers in the health-care field.
38 Grade Nine and Ten students from JL Jackson and AL Fortune Secondaries spent the better part of the day touring 12 stations learning about the different jobs and careers that exist in the district’s largest hospital. Some students were so taken with what they learned at the Interior Health facility, that a number of those students have signed up for more information about SD83/IH volunteer programs to which students can get high school credit and valuable work experience for participating.
Students placed themselves in six groups which spent 10-15 minutes at each station learning about the position, their duties, the education they need and other questions. The different jobs and departments highlighted included: Health Care Assistant, Physiotherapist, Respiratory, Laboratory, Cardiology, Diagnostic Imaging, Medical Device Reprocessing, Pharmacy, Nursing Unit Clerk, Foods and Housekeeping.
Many of the students in attendance were very engaged with the positions and several asked good questions. One of those students was Lexi Duff, a Grade Nine student at JL Jackson. Duff enjoyed the respiratory station among others. “It’s pretty cool, especially noticing how a baby breathes,” Duff said. Some students also had the treat of seeing a newborn in the maternity lab.
SD83 and Interior Health wish to thank the Province of British Columbia for their financial support for this field trip. The funding is linked to the province’s Stronger BC: Future Action Ready Plan to increase the number of workers going into the health care economy. Many of the professionals at each station highlighted the shortage of workers in their field and how salaries range from high $20’s to low $50’s per hour.
If students are interested in being part of the SD83 Health Care Work Experience Enhancement Program, they are welcome to register at their school’s career office. If you wish to learn more about sampler and dual credit programs being offered to SD83 students, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Career Education Coordinator George Richard via text or phone at 778-824-1188 or email grichard@sd83.bc.ca.