Where would we be without administrative professionals? They really do it all. Traditionally their duties have included answering phone calls, greeting visitors, coordinating schedules, booking travel, organizing conferences, preparing documents, agendas and meeting minutes, compiling data, and more. Today, however, the role is evolving.
Advances in technology mean the administrative professional’s role is becoming more complex and can include developing spreadsheets, drafting correspondence, maintaining databases, updating websites, managing social media, and creating presentation materials.
WorkBC is forecasting over 10,000 administrative assistant job openings in BC over the next 10 years due to retirements and economic growth. In just 22-weeks, our Office Administration program provides the education and skills needed to prepare for a rewarding career as an administrative professional or to make an impact in any business setting. Students can also choose to continue on to complete an Administrative Assistant Specialty or a Bookkeeping Specialty certificate.
Each year, Administrative Professionals Day recognizes and honours the benefits this crucial function brings to the people and organizations they support. Here are a few things you may not know about the history of this important day:
- In Canada, Administrative Professionals Day is celebrated annually on the Wednesday of the last full week of April.
- Established in 1952 by the president of the National Secretaries Association, Mary Barrett alongside Harry F. Klemfuss and C. King Woodbridge, Administrative Professionals Day was created in an effort to attract potential employees during a skilled office worker shortage and is now a way to recognize the important contributions administrative professionals make every day.
- Originally called National Secretary’s Day, the name was changed in 2000 to keep up with changing job titles and to encompass the expanding responsibilities of administrative support staff.
- Administrative Professionals Day was expanded to Administrative Professionals Week in 2000 (last full week of April) to space out the bookings at restaurants, country clubs, and other places where administrative professionals would be taken out to lunch.
Today – and every day – don’t forget to thank the administrative professionals that make your life, or the lives of those around you, better, more efficient, and organized. Life would be so much more challenging without them.