Thousands of students from across east-central Alabama had their eyes opened – and even put their hands on – an array of potential career paths during the EAWIN Career Discovery Expo at Auburn University.

The event, at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum Jan. 26-27, offered 8th graders the chance to explore the many opportunities regional employers can offer when they are ready to head into the working world. Organized by the East Alabama Workforce Investment Network or EAWIN, the expo was divided into 11 “clusters” representing a diversity of career options, from agriculture to the hospitality industry, to manufacturing.

Hundreds of sponsors, contributors and exhibitors worked together to bring a greater understanding of various careers. The students were provided reading materials that not only guided them through the expo, but also highlighted possible careers in each cluster and the requirements for those careers.

Shattering glass ceilings and expectations

Exhibitors said they were blown away by the wide range of careers students were interested in pursuing. The ideas ranged from dreams of playing pro sports, to becoming tattoo artists, neurosurgeons and firefighters. One exhibitor marveled at the number of girls interested in pursuing less traditional careers for women, such as welding, manufacturing and mechanical engineering.

Maci Harrison of Chambers Academy particularly enjoyed the Go Build Alabama exhibit, where students vied in a speed competition to assemble a collection of gears. “Maybe I’ll go into that!” she said.

Lizzie Keebler, also a Chambers Academy student, had her horizons broadened in connection with the agricultural industry and its related fields. “I found out there’s a lot more jobs in agriculture than just farming,” she said.

“I like everything we’ve seen. It’s so interesting,” said Gregory Griffith of Handley Middle School, in Randolph County. “I haven’t decided what to do, but I really enjoyed looking at all the cars.”

Griffith couldn’t miss them – half of the coliseum floor was packed with law enforcement vehicles ranging from K9 Units, to patrol cars, to Segways and SUVs. There was also an ambulance where students could practice CPR, a diesel truck in the Logistics cluster and an all-electric car in the Energy and Utilities cluster. When the Lee County Sheriff’s Department cranked up the radio on one of its SUVs, some students broke out their best dance moves.

John Mason, vice president for research and economic development at Auburn, painted a broad canvas as far as the career opportunities today’s middle-schoolers will encounter when they are ready to become part of the workforce.

“The entire healthcare industry, from technical jobs to medical degrees, will need good communication skills and the ability to use the technology in front of them,” Mason said during a kickoff breakfast event for expo sponsors and supporters. “Food production is very important to Alabama, and the knowledge needed will require at least a technical education to a PhD-level understanding. These are the kinds of demands that universities are being asked to require a pipeline for.”

He said students will need to attain technical skills early on, in order to be competitive when they are seeking careers.

State Rep. Pebblin Warren, D-Tuskegee, helped start EAWIN, and she continues to work with the organization. She said while the state has welcomed many new industries, there’s a demand to expand the skilled workforce those businesses must have to succeed. “That is why businesses and industries have come together for events such as these. We try to educate students so they can gain meaningful employment.

“Career education has a new face. It is no longer for students who cannot succeed in the classroom; even basic jobs now require more technical skills,” Warren said.