Today is the day! We’re excited to host our first ever virtual NW Youth Careers Expo! What an incredible community effort by Oregon employers and schools to help high school students develop their career dreams, skills and plans.
“We are totally amazed at what Oregon employers have done to stay connected,” said PWA Executive Director Susan Nielsen. “They’ve gone above and beyond to support high school students.”
The 17th annual Expo’s virtual doors will open at noon today and stay open for 30 days. More than 400 volunteers will welcome students in the virtual Exhibit Halls and Auditorium during the live event hours of 1-4 PM on March 16-17.
We will kick off the 2021 Expo with a student-centered welcome and land acknowledgment led by PWA’s Youth Impact Council, followed by an inspiring musical performance by the Grant High School Royal Blues, singing, “I Am But a Small Voice.”
We’re planning on about 6,000 students and educators from 75+ high schools across 16 counties at this year's Careers Expo. The Expo will feature a virtual Exhibit Hall where students and educators can “visit” booths to learn about different organizations. Students can take home materials and videos in their virtual backpacks, and they have access to more than 100 live talks and Q&A sessions hosted by exhibitors in their booths today and tomorrow.
In the virtual Auditorium, students can hear nearly two dozen Career Talks on topics including job-hunting, networking, leadership and interviewing. Students can also participate in a scavenger hunt for a chance to win partner-donated prizes. The Expo will provide students with a wealth of career resources to explore, both during the live event and on their own until mid-April. (See our Expo Resource Guide for full details.)
Adapting our traditional Careers Expo to a virtual format has been a team effort. We're grateful for our volunteers, speakers and 80+ exhibitors who have made it possible. Thank you to all our Expo sponsors, including Amazon Web Services and Prosper Portland, our 2021 Diamond Expo Sponsors. Special thanks to everyone who has made an individual donation this year. And as always, thank you to our volunteers for supporting Portland-area high schools and our future workforce!
