Several Southwest Washington business and civic organizations are launching Business After School, an initiative to help high school-aged youth learn about and explore career opportunities and skills requirements in local high-growth industries.
The Business After School focus in February is Engineering Week, with activities scheduled Feb. 16-18. Engineering firms and companies with STEM-related jobs, including industrial/chemical/test/civil and other engineers, structural analysts and more are invited to host a two-hour after-school event for students at their work sites.
Participating businesses will purchase sponsorships of $250, $500 or $2,500 and offer tours, hands-on activities and discuss types of jobs available, education and training requirements, and salary ranges at their companies. They also will provide information about job shadowing, summer employment, apprenticeships, internships and/or mentoring.
Interested businesses should apply to Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council no later than Jan. 21. Applications may be downloaded from SWWDC’s website, www.swwdc.org, by clicking the “Business After School” link in the left column or contacting Chelsea Chunn at cchunn@swwdc.org or 360-567-1066.
Future events will focus on health care in May, manufacturing in October and computer science in December.
Business After School’s sponsors are the Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council and local chambers of commerce, economic development agencies and higher education institutions in Clark and Cowlitz counties.
