Are you a student looking to participate in PWA's programming?
PWA offers a lot of different ways to explore your job interests and develop career skills. Check out the pages below to learn more about our Career Days, Career Expo, and different mentorship programs.
Career Days
Employers show students their workplaces, share their insights and describe how to pursue different careers!
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Careers Expo
The Expo shows students the region's amazing diversity of career opportunities, along with the skills and education needed for those jobs.
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Mentor & Internships
PWA collaborates with many community partners to offer mentorships, internships and other opportunities for students to work with employers and earn valuable career experience.
Read moreInterested in supporting PWA's work with students? There are many ways to get involved!
Volunteer with PWA
PWA helps Oregon high school students develop career-readiness skills, goals, confidence and early networks through real-world experiences. This work is possible because of our amazing and dedicated volunteers. Please contact us if you'd like to learn more about year-round volunteering options for you or your colleagues, or be added to the volunteer list to receive opportunities straight your inbox.
Participate in the Expo
The annual NW Youth Careers Expo is held each spring. This year, we are returning to in-person at the Oregon Convention Center. This career-education event attracts more than 6,500 students from high schools in Oregon and Southwest Washington. We invite your company to be an exhibitor or a sponsor of this premier business/education partnership and help you develop the 'pipeline' of talent for your future workforce needs.
Host a Career Day
PWA will help you to organize a career day that engages a group of students at your office or work site. Tours of offices, agencies and plants allow students to see and 'touch' the work in ways that are not possible in the classroom. They also allow employers to showcase the variety of jobs within their companies and the skills required to run a successful business. Download this helpful brochure: How to Host a Career Day. Time commitment: 3-4 hours.
Volunteer for Mock Interviews
Help students practice their interviewing skills before their first "real" job interview. These mock interviews also can be an opportunity to give students feedback on their resumes and interpersonal skills.
Become a Donor or Sponsor
PWA is a volunteer-driven nonprofit that leverages community support to create life-changing student impact. We rely on individual donors and sponsors to support our year-round work with students. Consider making an individual donation today or becoming a sponsor of our annual NW Youth Careers Expo. Contact us to learn about other sponsorship opportunities.
More ways to get involved:
Give a Classroom Presentation
Talk with students about your job, the skills needed to be successful and your own career path. Many students are unaware of the vast array of job opportunities; classroom presentations help them to make better decisions about their future. Time commitment: 1 hour
Offer a Job Shadow
Give a student an inside look at your job and the work environment by allowing them to "shadow" you at your workplace. Time commitment: 2-4 hours.
Are you a student who participated in a career day and interested in getting connected to job shadow at the employer? Contact us.
Offer an Internship
Internships help students understand the work environment and the importance of personal responsibility. They also help students observe how employees work in teams, solve problems and communicate with one another. Internships can be paid or unpaid and vary in length from one month to several months.
Support PWA & Career Education
Together, we can engage all students to graduate and make more informed, inspired career choices after high school or college.