Published On: 04.28.23 | 

By: Joey Blackwell

Alabama Power among participants at Gear Up Your Career student event at Grand Prix

Gear Up Your Career (1)

Gear up Your Career at the Children's of Alabama Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park introduces students to careers in manufacturing and more. (Chris Mitchell / Alabama News Center)

Every year, thousands of people flock to Barber Motorsports Park to view the Children’s of Alabama Grand Prix. While the sights and sounds of Indy cars driving at phenomenal speeds around the 2.38-mile circuit are certainly quite the spectacle, local students find invaluable information – something that can make a far greater impact on their lives than a singular race day.

Located just south of the track’s second-longest straightaway sits a massive tent with students, teachers and parents bustling in and out of the narrow entryways. That tent is almost as crowded as the pits on the opposite side of the track.

Why is the tent one of the most popular attractions outside of the race itself? It’s the location of Gear Up Your Career, an endeavor that sets out to inform and educate young attendees about various job opportunities in the manufacturing industry.

Roughly 1,500 high school and HBCU students passed in and out of the exhibition tent on Friday alone. Vendors from local corporations and other businesses gave live demonstrations and hosted interactive exhibits for potential careers that might pique the interest of students.

Like other career fairs, there’s plenty of swag-like bags, water bottles and hand-held fans to be passed around. The event is sponsored by Honda, AIDT and Alabama Robotics Technology Park and hosts more than two dozen other local companies. The companies represented a wide variety of career fields ranging from continuing education through the Alabama Community College System, reporting on events with WVTM 13, and automotive or manufacturing careers through ZLA Solutions – among many others.

Alabama Power hosted a table and handed out a variety of goods – bags, water bottles, cooling towels and lanyards – to students, all while discussing potential job opportunities with the company and spreading information about electrical vehicles (EVs).

Fliers featured a list of FAQs debunking myths surrounding EVs and their usage in the state, such as increased power bills, safety and power grid concerns.

By midday, there was nowhere an attendee could turn without seeing someone sporting an Alabama Power backpack – most often worn by a smiling student. Along with being educated on local manufacturing career opportunities, each student left the tent more informed about the usage of EVs in Alabama.

To learn more about Alabama Power’s programs regarding electric vehicles, click here. Find information about careers at Alabama Power here.