Last week, students across the nation got a taste of the working world during Groundhog Job Shadowing Day.
In Jersey City, juniors at Ferris High School’s Academy of Hospitality and Tourism shadowed workers at the Marriot and Hyatt hotels.
The Academy of Hospitality and Tourism is one of two business academies operating out of Ferris High School. There are academies in all four Jersey City High Schools, including a Hospitality and Tourism Program in Dickenson High School (which did not participate in Groundhog Job Shadow Day).
An academy is a magnet program that operates within the high school to create a career-themed small learning community.
Through a competitive selection process, eighth graders from throughout the city apply to the program in order to focus their high school studies in a practical manner in the field of hospitality and tourism. There are 138 students in all four grades
Classes are determined through state core curriculum requirements and guidelines from the National Academy Foundation.
Students use practical problems as a format for their academic studies. For example, students will plan a travel destination package as a context for their economics and geography classes.
“Seniors invent their own theme parks and make an oral presentation where they sell us on the park,” said Coordinator Len Anglin, “like they’re talking to investors. They also invent their own travel game, based on everything they’ve learned over the past three years. This will make them work as a team.”
Ferris High School also houses a Finance Academy.
Employees and their shadows
According to www.jobshadow.org, the website for National Job Shadow Coalition, “Job shadowing is an academically motivating activity designed to give kids an up-close look at the world of work and to answer the question, ‘Why do I have to learn this?’ ”
Four students shadowed workers at the Marriot on Tuesday, and 19 visited the Hyatt on Wednesday, spending time with workers in departments and specialists including concierge, accounting, housekeeping, the front desk, kitchen, engineering, and room service.
Uros Nikolic, 17, spent the day shadowing housekeeping.
“We’re just learning how to take care of the rooms,” Nikolic said. “Stripping and cleaning and the different jobs, like getting extra pillows, or if rooms need air freshening. We also took care of laundry, pillows, sheets, and towels.”
The students were enthusiastic to learn more about their field.
“It’s not simple as it seems to be,” said Tommy Huynh, who was shadowing the banquet department. “It’s technical. You have to organize a bunch of stuff. It’s about presentation. You have to prepare a lot and plan ahead of time what you’re going to do. The hard part is trying to get everything on time and keep the schedule. I always wanted to see what people do in a hotel.”
Work is part of the program
As part of the program, many juniors have part time jobs in the travel industry. Juan Park, 16, works part-time at the Hyatt. On Tuesday, he shadowed the bartender, learning where drinks are placed, how to set up lemons, and getting ice.
“I’ve been working here part time for a month in the food and beverage department,” he says. “The front desk was busy, so they sent me to the bar to learn how things work.”
As seniors, students spend half their days working in real-world jobs. The Hyatt employs six juniors and one senior part-time, and one former student full-time.
“One of these students may one day be one of their workers,” said Anglin. “Workers like Juan are also available for random shifts, like banquets, which is another advantage for the hotel.”
The academy concept is designed both for students who want to work after high school, and those who want to pursue higher education. According to Paul LaRosa, coordinator of the Finance Academy, most academy students gets accepted to four-year colleges. However, some opt to work instead.
“In some cases, our students are offered full-time jobs,” LaRosa said. “One was accepted at University of Massachusetts but took a job at the Hyatt.”
LaRosa said the increased development and interest in Jersey City has caused a boom for the hospitality industry, improving the relationship between area businesses and the academy.
“The Hyatt wants to be involved in the community, and this is the community,” he said.