Bring Your Child to Work-Day
Concept Description
“Bring Your Child to Work-Day” (German Acronym: BdKzAmT) offers children aged approximately 9 and 13 (grades 3 and 7) the opportunity to accompany their parents or close relatives or reference persons to the workplace for one day. Companies are encouraged to recognize their employees not only in their professional roles but also as parents – supporting them in giving their children a direct and personal experience of the world of work. This shared experience opens up a family-based dialogue about professions, work, and career paths.
Integration in Career Guidance Processes
This Reality Check provides a low-threshold, personal introduction to exploring career ideas – grounded in the real-life activities of parents or close relatives or reference persons. It is especially suited for early-stage career orientation in primary and lower secondary education and complements formal school-based approaches. The BdKzAmT activity is implemented during the school year as a non-formal measure and enriches the existing curriculum.
Goals:
- Offer personal, direct insights into real-world workplaces through job shadowing
- Encourage reflection on personal interests, skills, values, and life goals
- Strengthen family conversations about work, education, and future paths
- Promote business engagement in career guidance activities
Learning outcomes
Additional learning outcomes
- Develop concrete understanding of professional tasks and processes
- Motivate engagement with personal educational and professional planning
- Increase awareness of the diversity and realities of work
- Recognize the relevance of parental roles and professions in one’s own context
Implementation
Step-by-step
- Inform and invite regional companies
- Prepare students and parents via schools and parent associations
- Internal coordination within companies
- Conduct the visit day in the workplace
- Reflect at home and in school settings
- Option for online evaluation (e.g., via Easyfeedback)
Methods:
- Experience-based learning through participation
- Family dialogue as a basis for reflection
- Active involvement of regional businesses as partners in career orientation
Locations:
- Workplaces in regional companies
- Classrooms for preparation and reflection
Involved professions
Key Actors:
- Parents/close relatives/reference persons as supervisors
- Students in grades 3 and 7
- Company employees and HR
- Teachers for school-related guidance
Preparation & follow-up
Evaluation
The impact of the format is measured via an accompanying online survey (e.g., Easyfeedback). Recommended evaluation categories include:
- Motivation through direct experience
- Quality of professional insights
- Promotion of family-based career conversations
- Contribution to further steps in the career guidance process