Most students do not have access to learn and explore first-hand Eastern Iowa industries. Career Inspire offers 9th grade students the opportunity to learn about careers from industry representatives in time to ensure their high school course work aligns with career goals and better prepare themselves for life after high school graduation. For businesses, higher education, and apprenticeship programs, this is an opportunity to participate in building Eastern Iowa’s future workforce.

Career Inspire is more than a career fair, it brings together the business community and local schools and is designed to help launch students into their futures: high school, college or technical schools, and careers beyond. The program consists of three segments: 1) in-class sessions presented by the classroom teacher; 2) the hands-on Career Inspire expo; and 3) an in-class debrief. During the Career Inspire expo, students participate in hands-on activities, often using equipment or tools used on a job.

Following participation in the program, students will be able to:
• Recognize career clusters and potential job positions.
• Understand the importance of researching the requirements needed to earn a position.
• Implement job-hunting tools, such as networking, resumes, and interviewing skills.
• Identify the next steps needed for success in their academic and career preparation and acknowledge the importance of decisions made in high school to be
better prepared for a successful career path.
• Communicate and interact with industry professionals.
• Have a better understanding of their career interests, skills, and work priorities.

Ways to participate:
• Serve on one of the six career cluster committees to help formulate and select hands-on activities for the students to participate in during the Career Inspire
expo that allow the students to perform tasks representative of the career cluster.
• Serve on one of the Expo event committees: marketing, logistics, day of event.
• Volunteer on at the Career Inspire expo by helping run activities for the career clusters, help students navigate through the expo, supervise the arrival and departure of busses.