When students graduate from high school, they are thrown into a world where they have to make tough choices that determine their future: What should they study? What skills can they develop? Do they want to go to college? Should they learn a trade? Where are the resources to help them make those decisions?
To help those students, and all youths and young adults aged 16 to 24, Center of Workforce Innovations (CWI) created the NextGen Expo, the second annual rendition of which was hosted at Purdue University Northwest. Forty-six employers, educators, local businesses, and youth service providers took part in offering attendees information, dialogue, interactive learning sessions, and presentations on healthcare, technology, and skilled trades.
“This year, we really wanted to focus on exposing youth to a broad variety of different career pathways,” said Dominique Smiley, director of youth engagement at Center of Workforce Innovations. “We have human services, we have healthcare, we have technology, we have manufacturing. We want youth to feel comfortable speaking to these community leaders.”
For this year’s expo, Smiley and the rest of the CWI team decided to include the direct input of young people into planning the direction and content of the event. They connected with Daniel Dabney, an 18-year-old with a passion for advocacy, and tapped him for an internship as a WorkOne youth engagement specialist. He connected with companies to get them on board, spread word about the event on social media, and offered advice to create a program that would capture youth attention.
“Things have been amazing, I knew it was going to turn out well, but I’ve found myself smiling constantly,” he said. “There are so many youths here; we’ve never seen this many of them come out to an event and actively participate. It’s an opportunity for them, and I’ve talked with the vendors, and you can tell that they’re dedicated to making change in our community.”
Some of those vendors also sponsored the event, such as Alverno Laboratories, First Financial Bank, Geminus, Purdue University Northwest, Strack & Van Til, and Centier Bank.
“We like to give back to our communities, and at the forefront is going to be our youth,” said Jess Martinez-Garcia, financial education specialist at Centier Bank. “We understand that we need to work with those communities and organizations like NextGen to cultivate the next generation’s workforce and support programs that equip young people for success. Transitioning from school to the workforce can be a challenging time for many young people. We want to be not only your financial guide but your community bank that works alongside you for a better tomorrow.”
While some students dove into discussions with professionals at their tables and booths, others also took part in a set of breakout sessions hosted by Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana, Construction Advancement Foundation, and Victory Training, LLC. These were designed to give students both hands-on experience and deeper understandings of different career paths.
“A lot of these kids are going to be graduating in a year or two, or even in a month,” said Kevin Comerford, director of professional development at Construction Advancement Foundation. “I asked the kids in my session if they were unsure about what they wanted to do after high school, and about 75% of the room raised their hands. This gives them an opportunity to explore. Construction is a very lucrative path, but there are other great careers with excellent opportunities that these kids might not have otherwise known were out there.”
Students came from schools throughout Northwest Indiana, from Gary Lighthouse Charter to Portage and Hobart.
“It’s interesting to see all these different options; you really see all the perks and benefits these places offer,” said Kael Schlosser, a Hobart High School student. “I like going to these so that I can examine everything; it helps me choose better.”
Schlosser’s friend and fellow Hobart High student Brett Davis heaped praise on the professionals in attendance for their willingness to help.
“I think a lot of people here, sitting at these tables and inspiring kids like us, didn't have an idea of what they wanted to do in high school either,” he said. “It’s inspiring to see them out here, leading us through our endeavors.”
As throngs of students made their way through the rows of tables and booths, Smiley was not shy about sharing her excitement to see so many kids engaging and making connections.
“I love it. I get pumped every time we put on an event,” she said. “Our youth, especially our senior class that’s graduating this year – I get goosebumps because now they get a real opportunity to figure out what they want to do with their lives. We’re doing that; we’re helping guide them in the right direction, helping our next generation. I just get so excited seeing them engage with our community leaders, and with other youths, asking questions. I get chills.”
To learn more about Center of Workforce Innovations, visit www.cwicorp.com.
