Come with us on the official photo & video tour of the 13th annual NW Youth Careers Expo on March 14, 2017. This career-education event, organized by the nonprofit Portland Workforce Alliance, attracted more than 6,000 students from 75+ high schools throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington.
First, watch our one-minute Expo highlight video. Then scroll down to learn about the Expo and find links to multiple photo galleries.
We were happy to have about 40 sponsors and a record 170+ exhibitors this year, given the strong demand from high schools. Our sponsors and exhibitors included about 100 of the region’s top employers, as well as colleges, apprenticeship training centers and universities.
We grabbed a printed 2017 Expo Resource Guide and started out in the Health Care Zone, which included Oregon’s leading health care employers.
(Click here for more photos of the Health Care Zone.)
Next, we explored the Technology Zone. Technology is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the Oregon economy, so we took our time. Several tech employers, including CDK Global and AWS Elemental, promoted their summer internship programs.
(Click here for more photos of the Tech Zone.)
Then we headed to the Arts & Communication Zone, a newly expanded feature of the Expo. Our exhibitors included Wieden+Kennedy, The Oregonian, Swift, Oregon Public Broadcasting and many others.
(Click here for more photos of the Arts & Communication Zone.)
After that, it was time for Mock Interviews and Career Talks. More than 500 students had one-on-one mock job interviews this year, thanks to the stellar army of caring volunteers recruited through PWA and the Portland HR Management Association, one of our sponsors. Students also attended Career Talks on subjects such as landing a summer job or acing your first job interview.
(Click here for more photos of mock interviews.)
Then we dove back into the Expo and checked out some manufacturing, transportation and energy exhibitors, along with the Port of Portland. Gunderson’s welding demonstration is always a big hit.
(Click here for more photos.)
Next, we ventured into the Construction Zone, a world unto itself with about three dozen exhibitors.
(Click here for more photos of the Construction Zone.)
It wouldn’t be the Expo without Nike, of course. We wrapped up our Expo experience by taking one last lap around the floor and hitting a diverse array of exhibitors that inform and inspire us, including Nike, Columbia Sportswear, Portland Community College, Mercy Corps, the U.S. military, Worksource, Portland Parks & Recreation, and many more. The possibilities feel endless, which is what we love most about the Expo.
(Click here for more photos.)
Additional reading:
- See photos and coverage from the 2017 PWA Expo Breakfast
- See media coverage of the Expo in The Oregonian/OregonLive
- See who participated: View sponsors, exhibitors and schools.
Note: Many of these photographs were taken for PWA by Kim Blau Photography. A few are snapshots by PWA staff. Kindly use only with permission, please.
