TOLEDO, Ohio — For many high school students, the most dreaded questions come in the form of "what career will you pursue?" "Are you going to college?" "What will you study?"
While some may have their careers and educations planned to a T, many--or maybe most--struggle to narrow down exactly what field or major will fulfill them the most. Luckily, an organization is hosting a local event designed to introduce high school students, college students and community members to many of the opportunities available in today's job market.
Junior Achievement is a nation-wide organization focused on orienting students to career options. Locally, JA of Northwestern Ohio is hosting JA Inspire, an event intended to assist local students as they approach the age when they will enter the workforce and/or decide to attend college.
Jim Pollock, president of JA NWO, explained that JA Inspire is not a career fair, but rather a "career discovery event," during which students can form connections and discover skills and career paths in which they may be interested, rather than attending college or entering a field blindly.
"It's not that college is bad, it's just not the pathway for everybody," Pollock said. "It's sad we have a generation that's drowning, buried in debt, and don't have jobs, or don't enjoy what they're doing."
JA Inspire allows students to try out aspects of a given career before making significant commitments. Pollock emphasized the importance of the event's "hands-on" skill opportunities.
"If we can get them exposed and get them engaged, and start building relationships with companies and our community, and have them do hands-on and actively engaging things, they may see something they want to pursue that they may not have previously known about," he said.
The event, which is presented by Mercy Health and Mercy College of Ohio, will host at least 3,200 area students grades 8 through 12 and feature 75 companies; this is an increase from 1,400 students and 65 companies in 2022. Additionally, there is still time for educators and businesses to register their classes and themselves, respectively.
To register a school, click here. To register a business, click here. Schools may register for free and businesses are encouraged, but not required, to contribute $1,000 to cover the cost of the exhibit and the venue.
The event is not limited to high school students: those who have spent some time in college but aren't sure they'd like to continue, or others who are simply looking for a new career, can also attend the event. To register as a public attendee, click here.
JA Inspire will be held on Wednesday, May 10 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Glass City Center in downtown Toledo.
To learn more about JA NWO and the event, click here.
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