Portland Workforce Alliance Career Mentorship Programs
PWA collaborates with many community partners to offer mentorships, internships and other opportunities for students to work with employers and earn valuable career experience.
ACE Mentor Program
ACE is a free after-school program helping high school students find their career passions and educational paths toward jobs in architecture, construction management and engineering. The nonprofit program, staffed by PWA, serves about 150 Oregon students a year and relies on about 100 volunteer professional mentors to coach students in a hands-on, team-oriented project over 12 weeks.
ACE serves students from throughout the Portland metro area, including as far away as Sandy and Colton. ACE has demonstrated remarkable success in furthering self-sufficiency by helping Oregon students graduate, earn college scholarships and make informed career decisions. Learn more about the ACE Mentor Program of Oregon, the local affiliate of the national ACE program.
PWA Future of Nursing Mentorship Program
The PWA Future of Nursing Mentorship Program is a free after-school program for high school students. During the four-week program, students engage with local health care employers, explore careers in nursing, gain hands-on experience and learn about college options. Applications for the Fall program will open in October. Read a description of the 2023 Future of Nursing Mentorship Program here.
In addition, Kaiser Permanente offers summer internship opportunities to high school juniors and seniors in the business/management department and pharmacy organization. Kaiser also teams up with PWA to offer Career Days every Fall, Winter, and Spring. In addition, Oregon Health & Science University offers multiple internships and volunteering opportunities to high school students. Check out their website for more information.
PWA Youth Impact Council
The Youth Impact Council is a career-mentoring opportunity that allows high school students to help shape PWA programming while also receiving career development and mentoring opportunities.
PWA wants every student to have access to real-world opportunities to explore careers, expand their knowledge, and gain confidence for future job searches. Students on the Youth Council get this support while also “paying it forward” to help PWA serve the community, especially students from underrepresented communities and marginalized identities. You will be a voice for your peers, and your ideas will benefit students throughout Oregon. Registration for the program will open by early October. Learn more about the Youth Impact Council here.
PWA Summer Career Academy
The Summer Career Academy is a week-long mentorship program aimed at students who identify as female, non-binary, and/or gender expansive. This four day career empowerment program includes presentations from inspiring leaders in the community, working in fields such as local government, human resources, health, and construction.
Students learn from professionals and engage in candid conversations about getting their career started, overcoming challenges in the workplace and more. They'll also have a chance to build their resumes and practice interviewing for jobs. Applications for this program open in May. You can see a description of last year's Summer Career Academy here.
PWA Creative Careers Mentor Program
The Creative Careers Mentor Program allows students the opportunity to visit a variety of prominent design firms to learn about career opportunities and practice their creativity with the support of design experts. At each agency, students receive an overview of the company, a tour of the building and built-in opportunities to ask questions and engage in conversation about creative careers. Throughout the program, students also take part in hands-on activities facilitated by creative professionals. Applications for this program open in May. See a description of last year's Creative Careers Mentor Program here. (Logo designed by 22-23 Creative Careers Mentor Program participant Tiffany Nguyen.)
Career Days
PWA Career Days take students to every corner of Portland, from sleek downtown offices to the industrial Swan Island. Employers show students their workplaces, share their insights and describe how to pursue different careers!
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Together, we can engage all students to graduate and make more informed, inspired career choices after high school or college.