Educators and employers are two of our key constituent groups, so it’s reassuring to see their high satisfaction levels with our nonprofit’s largest community event.

Every year, we ask exhibitors and educators to rate their experience at the NW Youth Careers Expo. Their detailed feedback helps us know what’s working and how the Expo might improve.

This year, respondents gave high marks in most categories (92% or higher) and signaled room for improvement in a few areas.

Here are some key statistics and testimonials from this year’s survey.

Educators

• 94% described the hands-on demonstrations as excellent or good
• 100% rated the mock interviews as excellent or good
• 97% rated pre-Expo communication as excellent or good
• 90% said they were pleased with the layout and traffic flow
• 100% said “yes” or “maybe” to returning next year (90% said “definitely”)

 Exhibitors

• 93% said they were happy with the Convention Center facility
• 80% see the Expo as a good or excellent value
• 71% rated student preparation as excellent or good
• 96% rated pre-Expo communication as excellent or good
• 94% said “yes” or “maybe” to returning next year (70% said definitely)

Educator feedback about traffic flow at last year’s Expo prompted us to move to a larger hall, manage arrival times and cap registration to ensure a quality experience for students.  These steps paid off: This year, 90% of educators said they were happy with the layout and traffic flow, with 74% choosing “excellent.”

For the 2018 Expo, we’ll continue this focus on quality + accessibility. We’ll also aim to make targeted improvements, such as expanding the footprint of the Construction Zone so that our construction partners have more room for the students who flock to their hands-on exhibits.

As always, we’ll also look to recruit new employers in all sectors, while retaining our loyal base of employers and sponsors who make this event possible.

Educator feedback

• “The bigger room was great, students could move around to the different booths a lot easier. They benefitted from the one-on-one conversation with the professionals and also the hands-on experiences.” – Madison High School educator, PPS
• “The NW Youth Careers Expo has consistently been an inspiring and motivating experience for our students.” – Beaverton School District counselor
• “The students had so much fun this year. I felt like this was the most productive Expo, with high student engagement.” – Mt. Scott Learning Center educator, Portland
• “Students that attend this leave with an excitement for work and a new perspective on many different career options.” – Liberty High School educator, Hillsboro
• “Exposure was a premium. Our students were provided hands-on information they wouldn’t otherwise get.” – Roosevelt High School educator, PPS
• “We are a rural school. Our students do not have a chance to get close to the schools and careers that they saw at the Expo. It is extremely valuable for them to be exposed to so much in an easy and exciting way.” – Jewell High School educator

Exhibitor feedback

• “(We value) the ability to reach out to a large group of students in a concentrated and effective manner. It is so important for students to make informed decisions and this is one way to get them heading in this direction.”
• “It’s just an amazing opportunity to hear what students are thinking in terms of their career pathway.”
• “For us, the NW Careers Expo is the perfect environment to plant the seed with high school students to consider a career in technology.”
• “(We enjoy) connecting with high school students from so many various backgrounds and demographics.”
• “What a wonderful opportunity to get in front of our youth…These young adults are our future and this is great exposure to show what our company has to offer.”

Survey info

We sent surveys to 139 exhibitors and 81 educators. Response rates are reasonably consistent (exhibitors were 40-41% over the past 3 years; educators were 36-45% over 3 years). Rating choices were excellent, good, fair, poor or N/A.

Thank you again to everyone who participated in the Expo. We had about 40 sponsors and 170 exhibitors who attracted 6,000 students from 75 high schools in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Our Expo volunteers talked with students, led hands-on activities, offered workshops and conducted more than 500 mock interviews.

Save the date: Next year’s PWA Breakfast and 14th annual NW Youth Careers Expo will be held on Tuesday, March 13, 2018, at the Oregon Convention Center.