Twin Cities worksite tours introduce students to new career pathways

This spring, six generous local employers welcomed Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) students to their worksites to inspire and introduce them to new careers as they plan for life after high school. Organized by our Career Readiness Initiative team, these on-site events provided rare opportunities for students to engage in hands-on activities, meet one-on-one with employees and get a glimpse of life in professional environments. These worksite tours are often followed by visits to local colleges, universities and other postsecondary schools to learn about education and training for these fields.

Cargill + The University of Minnesota
At Cargill — the largest private funder for AchieveMpls and MPS — over 60 students from Edison Patrick Henry and Roosevelt high schools were welcomed by Cargill leadership to their world headquarters. Students participated in a sensory lab taste test experiment, toured the Cargill facilities, heard about a wide variety of careers from an employee panel and shared lunch with the Cargill Foundation Board of Directors. Students then spent the afternoon at the University of Minnesota's College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences learning about educational programs that are directly connected to Cargill’s diverse work. See photos from the worksite visit on Facebook.

KPMG + The College of Saint Benedict & Saint John’s University
Edison and Roosevelt high school students spent a full day exploring careers in business and accounting at the Minneapolis KPMG office and The College of Saint Benedict & Saint John's University in Collegeville. Students started the day at KPMG, where they learned about accounting careers from a diverse panel of KPMG professionals, toured the office and conversed one-on-one with the KPMG team over a pizza networking lunch. KPMG then provided goodie bags with snacks and company swag for the students' bus ride to Collegeville. There they took a university campus tour, participated in a mock business class, enjoyed small group discussions with business majors and heard from a student panel about academics and campus life. Here are Facebook photos from the trip.

CenterPoint Energy
South High students had the unique chance to tour a CenterPoint Energy facility in downtown Minneapolis. They got a sneak peek of the trucks and vans used by construction and maintenance crews, followed by time in a training and testing lab where technicians learn how to diagnose and repair appliances. Over a networking lunch they connected one-on-one with CenterPoint professionals who work in Home Service Plus, marketing and community relations, and the Conservation Improvement Program. Check out our Facebook photos.  

North Memorial Health
Healthcare is one of the fastest growing career fields in Minnesota. In a tour of North Memorial Health, students from Heritage Academy and the FAIR School Downtown were invited to board an ambulance, put on surgical scrubs, engage in an interactive pharmacy activity and learn about the wide range of medical careers available at the organization.  See our Facebook slideshow from the event.

Thanks to these generous partners — along with Comcast and Hennepin Health  — for opening their doors to our young people, sharing their time and expertise, and creating interactive opportunities to envision and plan for exciting careers in a wide variety of fields.

If your company or organization is interested in hosting a student worksite tour, please contact Ashley Musana at 612-455-1571.