This Spring, the Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation’s strategic education initiative, ElevateEdAZ launched its job shadow program for Career and Technical Education (CTE) students within the Mesa Public School (MPS) and Phoenix Union School Districts. Through this program, students supplemented traditional classroom learning with real-world career exposure experiences.
More than 60 Metro Tech High School automotive students were able to view this world of work while participating in a job shadow at Sanderson Ford Motor Company in Glendale, AZ.
ElevateEdAZ College and Career Coach, Vanessa Burry worked alongside Sanderson Ford Technical Placement Specialist, Cesar Martinez, to make the trip available to as many students as possible. Students were divided into four groups and employees interacted with each group as they spent the day touring the Sanderson Ford campus, exploring various career roles, completing a soft skills session, and shadowing an automotive technician.
The experience prompted Sanderson Ford to create an Automotive Collision and Repair apprenticeship for outgoing Metro Tech High School graduates, and In early June 2022, four Metro Tech High School students within the school’s Automotive Collision and Repair program graduated and completed an interview screening with Sanderson Ford. They were accepted to complete the employment process. These outcomes speak to why Work-Based Learning (WBL) experiences like job shadows are critical in ensuring the success of Arizona’s future workforce.
ElevateEdAZ job shadows are typically arranged as half-day field trips where small groups of high school students visit businesses to tour facilities, meet with employees to learn about potential career paths, and observe as they perform daily tasks. Job shadow experiences provide opportunities for students to explore the world of work at an earlier age, and introduce Valley industries to the local talent of Arizona’s future workforce.
ElevateEdAZ is focused on aligning education to workforce learning pathways with the needs of Arizona’s leading industries. The program’s primary objectives include increasing the number of students enrolled in and completing high-wage, high-demand career pathways, increasing student attainment of industry-recognized credentials and early post-secondary credit, providing more students with work-based learning experiences, and empowering educators to reimagine classroom learning through educator externships.
ElevateEdAZ is thankful for Sanderson Ford Companies’ investment in our local, untapped talent. If you are interested in learning more about hosting a job shadow contact: Brittany Holmes at bholmes@phoenixchamber.com.
About ElevateEdAZ
Launched in 2020, ElevateEdAZ prepares individuals for college and career through stronger alignment between education, business, and the community. ElevateEdAZ is a strategic education initiative of the Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation.
About the Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation
The Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation (the Foundation) convenes and catalyzes business, education, and community to enhance college and career readiness, develop a stronger workforce, and build healthier communities throughout Arizona.
The Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, leads the charitable and education initiatives of the Greater Phoenix Chamber under the four pillars of education, workforce development, wellness, and research. Through strong alignment between education, business, and community, the Foundation prepares individuals for college and career and serves as an intermediary to convey workforce needs and champion scalable workforce solutions. In addition, the Foundation makes Arizona and the Greater Phoenix region known as destinations for healthy talent and healthy communities through workplace wellness efforts and publishes data-driven research to inform policymakers, business leaders, and the general public.