Hundreds of Grade 9 students attend CIBC's "Take Our Kids to Work" day

TORONTO, Nov. 4 /CNW/ - Hundreds of Grade 9 students across the country are seeing first-hand what it is like to work at one of Canada's largest banks during today's "Take Our Kids to Work" day at CIBC offices, branches and call centres.

At CIBC's head office in downtown Toronto, more than 300 students are taking part in a special program and are job-shadowing their parents and parents' co-workers in a number of areas to give them a broader view of the many career choices in banking.

Take Our Kids to Work day is a great opportunity to give our young people ideas as to what they may choose as a career," said Al Dodington, Senior Vice President, Human Resources. "The experience serves as an interesting part of their education on the path to adulthood and it allows companies and other organizations, to contribute to that education. CIBC is proud to have given them a glimpse of the working world and what it means to go to work, and to be part of the workforce".

"A key part of the day is impressing upon kids the important skills everyone needs in order to succeed in the working world:

-   The ability to read and write well;
    -   Strong oral communication skills;
    -   The ability to work with others;
    -   Strong computer skills; and
    -   A drive to keep learning throughout your career.

"At the end of the day, we hope that the students walk away with

-   An understanding of the skills required in today's workforce;
    -   An understanding of the importance of staying in school;
    -   An appreciation of how their parent/host makes a living, which can
        lead to discussion around their expectations and those of a
        workplace; and
    -   A fun and practical encouragement to begin thinking about potential
        career choices."

This morning in Toronto, the kids' day began at The Suites at 1 King Street West with a BINGO icebreaker to get to know each other better; an overview of CIBC; and a talk on "Where your money goes." There was an Equity and Diversity quiz, as well as a presentation on bank security including the technology used to keep money safe. Kids are now shadowing their parent/guardian for the rest of the day. This morning's agenda is being repeated in the afternoon for kids who chose to shadow their host in the morning.

Students in CIBC branches across the country are greeting clients and experiencing how important a bank is to everyday life and how CIBC is involved in the community.

TOKWD introduces Grade 9 students to jobs and professions by allowing them to shadow employees in a variety of businesses for a half or full day. More than 1.5 million young Canadians have learned first-hand about careers and the working world through TOKWD in tens of thousands of workplaces across Canada.

CIBC has participated in TOKWD since its inception in 1994, as it aligns with our community investment focus on youth, education and health. In 2008, CIBC contributed more than $27 million in Canada. Of this, $3 million was allocated to hundreds of initiatives that support youth through mentoring, skills development, financial literacy training, nutrition and health, anti-bullying, youth shelters and programs for young people with disabilities. CIBC's multi-year commitments to colleges and universities total $17 million. Of this, close to $6 million is directed to bursaries and scholarships to help young people reach their full potential. The 2008 CIBC Miracle Day, the first Wednesday in December raised $3.1 million in support of charities dedicated to improving the health, well-being and education of kids in our communities. To date, CIBC Miracle Day has raised over $50 million in Canada.

CIBC is a leading North American financial institution with nearly 11 million personal banking and business clients. CIBC offers a full range of products and services through its comprehensive electronic banking network, branches and offices across Canada, in the United States and around the world. You can find other news releases and information about CIBC in our Press Centre on our corporate website at www.cibc.com.