More than 5,000 students from across Southwest Virginia took part in United Way of Southwest Virginia’s (UWSWVA) Ignite Careers Expo for Youth at the Washington County Fairgrounds, getting a hands-on view of local career paths.
Seventh-grade students had the opportunity to experience interactive activities with over 45 businesses from across the region, connecting students with potential career paths ahead of high school. Forty-four middle schools representing the majority of the Class of 2029 for the entire Southwest Virginia region participated.
“The Ignite Careers Expo for Youth is designed to help 7th graders from 21 different localities gain awareness of local employers and local jobs,” said Travis Staton, President & CEO of United Way of Southwest Virginia. “Not only do we highlight careers and occupations, but we also educate them on what type of credentials or education is required to get that job. We want Southwest Virginia to be the best place to live, work, and raise a family, and this type of career exploration only helps that mission.”
Businesses in attendance were able to directly reach and engage the students that will become Southwest Virginia’s workforce of the future.
Members of First Community Bank attended their first Expo. Vice President of Retail Banking Jody Mondrage and her colleagues were able to connect with students, teaching them how to prepare for their financial future while highlighting careers in the area.
“Today we were sharing financial literacy, so we had a trivia game where they got to spin the wheel and answer questions for prizes,” Mondrage said. “They were all engaged at our booth. We had a line all day and they loved learning about saving money, saving for cars they want to buy in the future, so it was a lot of fun.”
STEM and virtual reality were on full display with booths showing students how coding and computer skills can help fly drones, race remote control gadgets, or even see careers through VR.
UWSWVA’s Ignite program innovates for positive, lasting social change by creating sustainable solutions to address the challenges facing tomorrow’s workforce and through collaboration with government, businesses, nonprofits, and individuals.
The 2023 Ignite Careers Expo for Youth is sponsored by The Rapha Foundation, First Community Bank, Food City, Crutchfield, Lawrence Brothers, Visit Tazewell County, Tritt Insurance, Woodgrain, Appalachian Community Federal Credit Union, Terra Realty, and also our elite partners Food City, Ballad Health, Universal Fibers, Utility Trailers – Atkins and Utility Trailers – Glade Spring.
United Way of Southwest Virginia fights for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in Southwest Virginia because they are the building blocks for a good quality of life. Through an initiative-based cradle-to-career approach, United Way of Southwest Virginia is creating sustainable solutions to address the challenges facing tomorrow’s workforce. United Way convenes cross-sector partners to make an impact on the most complex problems in our region. Through collaboration with government, businesses, nonprofits, and individuals, United Way innovates for positive, lasting social change. With a footprint that covers nearly 20% of the state of Virginia, United Way of Southwest Virginia programs and initiatives serve the counties of Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Lee, Montgomery, Pulaski, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe, and the cities of Bristol, Galax, Norton, and Radford.
