On February 18 there was a “Shadow Day” when many work places in Latvia visited by shadows – students who went to get acquainted with private issues of their future profession. This year eighteen shadows visited different positions in the RIGA International Airport.
Interest was the largest about positions connected with apron – attending of airplanes and luggage. Many persons were interested in the work of ticket service, coordinator and dispatcher as well.
The Shadow day begun for the students with registration, presentation and a movies about the airport in the classroom of Training Centre. Then the shadows went on a tour guided by Pēteris Ermanis. For many persons it was the first passing through safety control in the airport. The possibility to take a photo at the penguin afforded also pleasure to shadows. After the tour the students met the representatives of their chosen professions – environment management system manager Iveta Žvagiņa, environment protection expert Jūlija Markova, ticket service manager Everita Streļča, apron movement control division manager Zane Balode, coordinator division manager Jana Pranča-Milberga, public relations project manager Santa Auguste amd load expert Sergejs Gorbunovs, and then begun the familiarization with the professions. There was a shadow also for the chairman of the board Krišjānis Peters, who at 8.20 went already to a meeting in the Ministry of Transport, the to the Cabinet of Ministers and later to the airport.
The met shadows admitted that this day turned out very interesting.
Renāte Siņicina, 18 years, Riga Secondary school no. 2, shadows the coordinator:
– I like very much here in the airport. For the first time I got in the official rooms and this is what I like the most. I’ve chosen the airport because in future I want to connect my career with this company. I’m not sure yet about the position but I would like to work here.
Veronika Pestrjakova, 17 years, Ukrainian School, shadows the public relations project manager:
– I liked to observe the work of public relations project manager in the office and how the shadow days are arranged in the airport. I liked very much also that when preparing the material for inner newspaper, I had the possibility to find out how everyone works here and how the working day passes.
Kārlis Liepiņš, 14 years, Jelgava Spīdolas gymnasium, shadows the load expert:
– I like it very much! I’ve done many things today connected with servicing of the airplane and luggage. I’ve chosen the airport because I thought the process of airplane servicing is very interesting. I wanted to find out how it happens. I saw how the cockpit look from inside. It was cool!
Mārtiņš Maķinskis,18 years, Riga Commercial Gymnasium, shadows the chairman of the board:
– Till now I hadn’t been a shadow of so high official. I enjoyed that I could get in zones where other can’t go. The most impressive was the visit of VIP Centre that was arranged very refined and to see the president room where the access is very restricted. I also liked to sit in the airplane in place of the pilot. It was an unforgettable day! I want to than the guide of the tour. His narration was very interesting, with examples from life, and not only bare facts.
Airport is one of the companies that has worked with earnings. Perhaps there are other companies as well, but I got interested by the fact that the airport has big plans in respect of the development and they are implementable. I wish the employees of the airport always to smile and think positively.
Also after the shadow days the airport received notes of thanks in the e-mail:
Thank you for giving the possibility to “shadow” in the airport. It was very interesting! Laura Tuča, shadow of ticket service agent
I wanted to thank you one more time for the nice day when I had the possibility to shadow you. I gained big experience and now I know what does a project manager and how his/her day passes. I was very glad that I shadowed exactly you because as a person you are very interesting, communicative and active. Now I have the aim to study and work in the same area where you because the work is exciting and different that I like very much. Veronika Pestrjakova, shadow of public relations project manager
5000 students from all Latvia participated in this year’s “Shadow day”. More than 200 institutions and companies involved in the campaign. State administration institutions were the most active, but students were interested most of all in the work oh the president of the State and Saeima, as well as photo ad public relations agencies, health treatment institutions and banks.
One of the skills that interested the youth most of all, was driving a plane that the airline “airBaltic” demonstrated to the youth, by making flights all day long. The work of a stewardess earned equal attention.
