FORTY–FOUR smartly dressed youngsters and their parents showed up bright and early yesterday morning at the Bank of Nova Scotia downtown Kingston head office to participate in the bank’s “Take our Kids to Work Day”.

A total of 114 children were, however, expected to participate in the programme at BNS branches islandwide – working along with their parent/guardian in conducting simple tasks such as answering the telephone, sending fax, proof reading correspondence, assist in the distribution of mail, running errands and attending meetings.

The Scotiabank Take Our Kids To Work Day was designed to provide an opportunity for the children of the bank employees who are between the ages of three to 16 to familiarise themselves with the jobs their parent or guardian perform on a daily basis. While giving young people a taste of the complexities of the work world, the programme also encourages them to start thinking about their own career direction and the educational choices they will inevitably make.

“It is important that you take kindly and understand why we do what we do…. and develop an appreciation and commitment for what it is that we do,” William Clarke, the bank’s managing director told the young people as they eagerly waited to start their work day. ” trust this opportunity to spend a day at Scotiabank’s will motivate you to start thinking about your own career choices; hopefully, some of these will be in banking.”

Clarke said he was also particularly heartened by the number of young men that were present. “It is very important that we balance the education system an even the work world for that matter,” he said.

Caren Tomlinson, senior manager in retail and electronic banking, who brought her son Bert to work said children appreciate their parents and the rigours of their jobs when they get a first hand experience.

“When children see what their parents do they have a better appreciation for it, they appreciate the hard work that we do,” she said. “t also prepares them for the work world, in terms of what to expect when they become adults,” added Tomlinson.

Beverly Gaynor, customer support representative at the King Street branch also said the Take Our Kids to Work Day was beneficial because it allowed the youngsters to understand what their parents do while they are at work.

Gaynor’s 17 year-old son Andrew agreed. He said: “I think this day is important because it gives us a chance to see what our parents do at work. Today we will learn how to answer the phone and so on.”

Mariyln Francis, special banking assistant at the King Street branch said children should from an early age learn to be responsible and appreciate what their parents do and the “struggles they endure” for them to get a good education.

Francis’ son, Zane Francis, 17, who was scheduled to help his mother balance the safe deposit boxes said, “I think it is a chance to get exposed to the working world, a chance to see what our parents go though on a daily basis to bring home money to ensure that our lives are good and enjoyable”.

At the end of their “hard” day of work the participants received a certificate of participation.

Scotiabank introduced Take Our Kids to Work Day four years ago and on an average over 100 students participate in the celebration islandwide.