(Describer) Title: I Can Be Anything I Want to Be, A to Z. The title turns and the background opens to the Career Lab, with kids working at different stations.

[upbeat music]

♪

That's a lot of surgical instruments. Are they all used during operations? There are many different types of instruments because there are so many surgical procedures. You need the right tool? And the right team. It takes more than a doctor to perform surgery? Yes, there's a lot of careers in the operating room: sterile processing technicians make sure everything is clean, surgical assistants, nurses, schedulers, anesthesiologists. Wow, I had no idea! Did you know that? No, but there are many career options in the building trades. Yeah, plenty of jobs, but not enough workers. In fact, the shortage of skilled workers is causing construction delays and giving home builders a headache. Hang on--I just got these prepped for surgery. Have you been making sawdust here? Yeah. We're about to mix cement. You don't mind, do you?

(Describer) On a screen...

[pinging]

(female) Attention, attention. The Office of the Alphabet is calling with an urgent career request. Please stand by. Guess we'll have to re-sterilize these, then. Here, let me help.

(Describer) The two builders go to the screen.

[beeping]

This time, it's the letter "Q." Quick, what cool careers start with "Q"? Oh, um, quantitative psychologist. Quarry worker-- someone who takes granite, limestone, and marble from the ground. Perfect for construction, right? Quartermaster-- a military officer who manages supplies and provisions. Quarterback. "Quality control inspector." Oh, this is one of mine. This sounds like a career that's all about details. Well, it's definitely a career that requires all fives senses. Larry Luck can break it down. He works for Kroger as a quality assurance supervisor.

(Describer) He presses a button.

[pings] Hi, Larry.

Hi, Lab Squad. So, we're researching the career of quality control inspector. You work in quality assurance. Can you tell us more? As quality assurance supervisor, I ensure your food is safe to eat. The quality control manager inspects the food. I do that too. I look at the food, smell the food, taste the food, but I also supervise the process from when the trucks arrive to when they leave. I inspect fruits and vegetables, like strawberries and bananas, and meat, poultry, and fish. We inspect food from all across the world from your local farmer to South African baby pineapples. We have bananas from Peru and Mexico. Cool. So you work with food. Where else can quality control inspectors work? Quality control managers work in a variety of areas, from food you eat, to clothes you wear, to cars your parents drive. It sounds like one part of your job is deciding what food is safe for the store. Can you tell us more about that? Sometimes we reject food because of mold, it's rotten, or it just doesn't look good. Sometimes rejected food is still good, but it doesn't look right. We give that to the local food pantry. Other food we return to the farmer. If it's rotten, we throw it away. The craziest thing I've found inspecting food was a frog in kale. But it was still alive.

[frog croaks] Wow.

That's a surprise. Larry, what's the most important part of your job?

(Larry) This job is important because we ensure your food is safe to eat. The best part about my job is eating everything I inspect. Thanks for telling us about your career. Good luck in the lab.

(Describer) The boy presses the button.

[pings]

Theo, can you imagine what would have happened if a customer had found that frog? I know! It's great that quality control inspectors check our products. Since they work in dozens of fields, there are many quality careers for kids to inspect. If frogs and bugs aren't involved, I'm in. Wait, you don't like frogs?

(Describer) Theo pulls one out.

What if you're just researching careers? Are frogs okay then? Yuck! How long has that been in there? He wants to say hello. Hello? Try goodbye! Yuck! Ooh, what did you name him? Who cares what his name is? He's so cute. Can we maybe just dissect him?

(all) No!

[sighs]

Come on, look at him. Just touch him. I don't want to. You have gloves on.

(Describer) Titles: Think TV, CET, Public Media Connect. Copyright 2017 Accessibility provided by the US Department of Education.

Accessibility provided by the U.S. Department of Education.