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N.J. Chamber Foundation Career Day
Attracts 4,000 Students
JACKSON, N.J., May 5 - Around 4,000 middle school and high school students descended on Six Flags Great Adventure today to participate in a "career day" sponsored by the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
The students met with representatives from 14 companies who set up exhibit tables in the theme park to learn about what it takes to get tomorrow's high-wage, high-skill jobs.
"It's a way for them to get a little bit of insight to the world of work," said Sue Herring, director of programs at the N.J. Chamber Foundation. "There are a lot of things that shock them like they don't get as many days off as they do in school. They are shocked by policies about not hiring people with visible tattoos or piercings."
Company representatives answered questions about salaries, ethics, drug testing, diversity and expectations of employers. In scavenger-hunt style, the students were provided assigned questions for company representatives as a way to start conversations.
"After students left, they had a better appreciation for how to prepare for the demands of the 21st century workplace, both academically and behaviorally," Herring said.
The theme park - including all the rides - was open today exclusively to students from schools in New Jersey, New York, Delaware and Pennsylvania.
The career day, called LearnDoEarn Career Day, was developed by the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Foundation's LearnDoEarn initiative, which gives students information from the business community to help them prepare for college, work and life. The LearnDoEarn program (Learn More Now, Do More Now, Earn More Later) was created in response to employers' concerns about the limited availability of qualified workers in a global economy.
Participating companies in today's career day included Bank of America, ConocoPhillips, Prudential, PSEG, State Farm, TD Bank, Verizon and Wells Fargo.
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The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce is a business advocacy organization that represents its members on a wide range of business and education issues. Based in Trenton, the organization also links the state's local and regional chambers on issues of importance through its grassroots legislative network. For more information, visit www.njchamber.com | 
