Company hosts job-shadowing program for students
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Birmingham Water Works Board (BWWB) began a new initiative in partnering with the Birmingham City School System’s Career Academies for a two-day job-shadowing program, where on October 8th and 9th students enrolled in the program met their BWWB mentors on the Main Campus at 8:30 a.m. Students were given light refreshments and then dispersed to various BWWB sites where they experienced career fields similar to those available in the Career Academies’ program.
“I plan to learn how healthcare interacts with water,” said Takeia Smith, Jackson Olin High School student in the Health Sciences Academy. “I want to learn about healthcare professions that can be pursued in the Birmingham Water Works.”
Smith, along with fellow student Candace Williams shadowed BWWB Superintendent of Water Resources Greg Henslee where they learned about operations at the Shades Mountain Filter Plant, Cahaba Pump Station, Lake Dam-Valve House functions, and more. Some of the areas offered to students in the Career Academies include Engineering, Business and Finance, Health Sciences, Hospitality and Tourism, Architecture and Construction Sciences, Urban Education and more.
“These students were like sponges taking in every word and detail of information we shared,” said BWWB Senior Human Resources Business Partner Cherita King. “The Birmingham City School Career Academy Students were exceptional, well-behaved, and interested in learning what we had to share.”
King shared an overview of human resource operations, risk management, and training with the students she mentored. Michal Johnson, BWWB Assistant General Manager of Finance and Operations shared an overview of the daily tasks in his department with Mohammed Jalloh and Trey Hawkins, high school students in the Business and Finance Academy.
“I am trying to learn how easy or hard it is to do the work of professionals, especially when it comes to finances,” said Jalloh. “I look forward to the chance to gain experience in my interests.”
Around 70 students from the Career Academies participated in the program with the BWWB. Each student participant was paired with a professional mentor during the two-day program, which continued to reinforce the Career Academies core mission to develop students both academically and professionally.
