Everyone is welcome, and anyone with an interest in public schools, job training or today’s work place is likely to find something of interest. They also can enjoy the vocational-technical displays, food booths, live music, a car show and a silent auction.

But there’s a more narrowly defined target audience for whom Saturday’s event should be even more valuable. That audience comprises employers in numerous fields, middle and high school students and their parents, and parents of even younger kids who, in a year or two will begin thinking seriously about careers.

But first, here’s a warning for parents and students who figure a four-year college degree is positively, without a doubt the only route to a career: Attend at your own risk, and be prepared to come away with a new perspective.

The Clark County Skills Center (www.ccskillscenter.org), with 823 students from high schools around the county and Woodland (and some 18,000 graduates) is at 12200 N.E. 28th St. That’s three-fourths of a mile east of Northeast 112th Avenue on 28th Street, which is Burton Road on the west side of 112th. The open house is from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Those adults who remember vocational education as pretty much limited to auto mechanics and wood shop will learn about Skills Center programs in a much wider array of fields, including applied medical sciences,  criminal justice, dental assisting, financial services, legal/medical office applications, travel and hotel management and restaurant management/culinary arts.

But wait, there’s even more going on at the Skills Center Saturday. Besides showing off the existing programs, the open house will be a celebration of a pre-apprentice agreement announced Thursday that involves the center, trade unions, the City of Vancouver and the state Department of Labor & Industries.

The pact will smooth the way for Skills Center graduates to enter directly into apprenticeship programs with the city of Vancouver in one of six career tracks: construction, automotive, diesel, pre-engineering and design, electro-digital technologies and legal/medical office applications.

“This creates a process for Skills Center graduates to enter apprenticeships and get good jobs with the city,” spokesman Jeff Williams said. “Because of all the baby boomers retiring, the unions and employers are dying for people. This is a win-win. It’s all about creating family-wage jobs.”

In addition to the new deal with the city, the center has long enjoyed pre-apprenticeship deals with several trade organizations representing, among others, carpenters, electricians and HVAC.

Dennis Kampe, the center’s modest but appropriately proud director, said Thursday, “We’ve been able to meet the challenge” of maintaining a relevant array of courses and sufficient enrollment.

Happy Birthday, Skills Center.