TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Local college students are getting career experience in the areas that interest them, at nearly 40 Tallahassee businesses.
It's all part of the Eagle Shadow program that applies classroom learning to real life.
Thursday was Tallahassee Community College's 2019 Eagle Shadow Day about 50 students participated in the new job shadowing program that allows students to get a sneak peek into their future career field.
"We want them to take advantage of this opportunity to network, possibly get an internship, maybe a future job and maybe just make professional connections," said Katie Goodman, Director of the Career Center at TCC.
Goodman says it's one thing to learn in the classroom, but it's a different thing to experience your chosen field firsthand. Inspired Technologies was one of the businesses taking part.
"We educate students on what's available in Tallahassee. If they don't know we exist, they will go find a job somewhere else they'll move. They will leave this area, but if we can give them a taste and make them understand that these jobs exist, they are in your backyard, and we are here to educate you about them now," said Zack Dunlap, Director of Business Development for Inspired Technologies.
A participant says the Eagle Shadow program is important.
"A lot of the networking opportunities that can arise from this are really important," said TCC student Sean Norton.
Another participant says he'd never thought about staying in Tallahassee for his career until Thursday.
"Tallahassee has always been a passerby town. You come here you go to college and you move and you go get a job," said TCC student Connor Warren. "But with a place like Inspire, I could easily see me staying here and getting a job and that's crazy to hear me say honestly."
The Eagle Shadow Program needs more local employers to register as hosts. so they can see just how much talent TCC has to offer.
If your company is interested just visit tcc.fl.edu/eagleshadow to sign up.
The next Eagle Shadow Program is this fall.
