Friday, March 29, 2024

The Learning Partnership Recognizes WhiteWater for Outstanding Efforts on Take Our Kids to Work Day

Richmond, BC, Canada – WhiteWater was recognized by The Learning Partnership as one of just 15 companies across Canada for their outstanding efforts during Take Our Kids to Work day, on November 4. The Learning Partnership is a national charity dedicated to building stakeholder partnerships to support, promote and advance publicly funded education in Canada. WhiteWater was named Canada’s Outstanding Employer for their exceptional achievements in guiding and inspiring Grade 9 students to get an early start to thinking about life after school and education to career pathways.

“Take Our Kids to Work day is a much anticipated event at WhiteWatersaid Kelly Shea, HR Manager, WhiteWater, “employees await for when their kids are in grade 9 and we hear that kids look forward to it too – especially now that we’ve be doing this for a few years and siblings are coming so they’ve heard about it from their big brother or sister.”

WhiteWater is the perfect place to showcase the variety of career options open to kids because making amusement park rides, water slides and designing water parks involves architects, designers, engineers (structural, mechanical and electrical) as well as project managers, all types of manufacturing and trades, finance teams and sales and marketing. Representatives from the many areas talk about the path they took to end up in their role and how it rarely is a direct route.  From the product engineer that started in IT sales to the accountant that was formerly a plant manager, they see careers are a journey, not a point A to point B process. WhiteWater outlines co-op and apprentice opportunities alongside University degrees as ways into these jobs to show a successful career has many routes.

Geoff Chutter, WhiteWater’s President & CEO, speaks to each group of kids about the importance of following your passion, as he did 35 years ago when his parents and friends thought he was crazy to quit being a CA to start up a waterpark. After years of perseverance, he now employees over 650 people across 20 offices around the world!

Each session of 30 – 60 minutes took the students through a lot of material, but also kept their attention. Seeing how slides and rides are made is pretty fun and WhiteWater made it interactive by giving them the chance to design their own sculpture and use the hot wire to cut it. The children also were allowed a sneak peek of the amazing new rides in development with the product development team that haven’t been released yet, before seeing where their parents work.

“They come home with a much greater appreciation for what their parents do, and hopefully how much fun work can be to inspire their futures,” says Chutter.

Joe Kleiman
Joe Kleimanhttp://wwww.themedreality.com
Raised in San Diego on theme parks, zoos, and IMAX films, InPark's Senior Correspondent Joe Kleiman would expand his childhood loves into two decades as a projectionist and theater director within the giant screen industry. In addition to his work in commercial and museum operations, Joe has volunteered his time to animal husbandry at leading facilities in California and Texas and has played a leading management role for a number of performing arts companies. Joe previously served as News Editor and has remained a contributing author to InPark Magazine since 2011. HIs writing has also appeared in Sound & Communications, LF Examiner, Jim Hill Media, The Planetarian, Behind the Thrills, and MiceChat His blog, ThemedReality.com takes an unconventional look at the attractions industry. Follow on twitter @ThemesRenewed Joe lives in Sacramento, California with his wife, dog, and a ghost.

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