Try before you buy: Local students try out careers in Whitfield County

Published 10:28 pm Thursday, March 12, 2015

Charlie Hawkins is quickly nearing the end of her time at Dalton High School, which means a big decision is on the horizon.

“I’m looking at colleges now, and needing to figure out what I’m going to do as a career,” said Hawkins, a junior.

Since it’s not something to take lightly, and pondering the possibilities or talking with adults can only go so far, Hawkins decided she would take matters into her own hands.

This week, she got her hands dirty — with flour and cookie dough — and went to work.

Hawkins was one of about 40 students who from Tuesday to Thursday took part in “Explore Experience,” a job shadow program organized through the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce, Dalton-Whitfield Joint Development Authority.

For three days, she baked cookies, helped customers and learned a bit about the financial side of owning a business while working with Mama Wilson’s Homemade Cookies and Cakes in downtown Dalton.

“Ever since I was little I’ve wanted to do cooking,” Hawkins said. “So, I liked the idea of being able to see what it would be like. It’s been a good experience and I’ve enjoyed it a lot.”

For Hawkins, who participates in the culinary arts pathway at Dalton High, the opportunity was a chance to see if a favorite activity was truly her preferred career choice. Having cooked for a few days, in a professional setting, she’s even more convinced.

“I think I will pursue it more,” she said.

According to Barbara Ward, director of workforce development with the chamber and coordinator for the Explore Experience program, gaining a clearer picture of everything specific careers entail is the goal for all participating students. They also learn “vitally important” soft-skills, like communication and teamwork, she said.

“Ultimately, we cannot fix all of the workforce problems in our area — not having enough qualified workers for jobs — at the college level alone. We have got to start working through the problems earlier,” Ward said. “We do this with students to help them become better prepared to enter post-secondary schools and make the decisions that they need to about their future. We’re helping them become better informed, and a little better prepared.”

Explore Experience is in its fourth year in Whitfield County. The opportunity is available to all high school juniors in the area, who can apply online on the chamber site.

Students’ schools determine if they can participate based on grades, attendance and discipline.

Usually, between 30 and 40 students take part in any given semester and shadow for three days, Ward said. They select a desired field from a list included on the application.

She said the program is successful whether students find their calling or not.

“If students are able to get an inside look at a profession they think they want to do, and are shown that they actually do not wish to pursue it, it is just as valuable as a student confirming that they do,” she said. “Whatever they decide, they will hopefully bring their knowledge back here to Whitfield County.”

Among the places in which students are allowed to shadow are the Whitfield County District Attorney’s office, doctors’ officers, Hamilton Medical Center, Shaw Industries, bakeries, local schools, The Daily Citizen, Dalton Animal Care and others.  

“I think (this program) can be really beneficial. It can let students know if they truly are interested, and gain experience, prior to beginning college,” said Julie Reece, a radiologist with Hamilton Medical Center. “(Students) can know now if they’re interested in a route they’d like to pursue.”

“I probably could have saved a couple of years of schooling (had I done something like this),” she joked.

Coahulla Creek’s Lexi Tucker and Dalton High’s Mac Hodges both shadowed at Hamilton Medical Center, observing doctors take and examine X-rays, and work with patients.

“I am interested in radiology, and thought that if I had a chance to see exactly what they do, and how they do it, would be able to learn more and know that I am still interested,” Tucker said. “It seems like a good place for me. What they do seems really interesting.”

Hodges, who also shadowed at Dalton ENT Hearing Center a semester ago, said he enjoyed the program.

“I decided to do this because when beginning high school I was very unclear about what I wanted to do as a career. Since then, I’ve done a lot of research to figure that out,” he said. “It’s really opened my eyes. I thought: ‘this is pretty neat and fun.’

Hodges said the experience has been helpful.

“I’ve learned that audiology would be a good route to take,” he said. “I can help both old and young people, and still be in the medical field at some point.”