POWERGRAMS

Eighth-graders explore job opportunities at WOO Nearly 10,000 eighth-graders grabbed a sneak peek at hundreds of future employment options during the sixth annual Worlds of Opportunity Career Expo sponsored by Alabama Power. The two-day event at the Mobile Civic Center attracts students from eight Alabama counties and immerses them in a hands-on, interactive career exploration led by business professionals representing 13 key industries. The Southwest Alabama Workforce Development Council's (SAWDC) event pulls together more than 170 regional companies to develop and staff the "worlds" visited by students. From taking a turn in front of or behind the camera with a television station in the World of Communications, to simulating replacement of a blown fuse as an electrical lineman in the World of Energy, the expo seeks to match natural inclination and available training programs with industry needs. SAWDC Executive Director Laura Chandler said the biggest change to the 2015 lineup was the addition of the 13th world, "Computer and Information Technology," in response to industry demand. The other 12 worlds were: aerospace, automotive technology, communications, construction, energy, engineering and design, healthcare, hospitality and tourism, manufacturing, shipbuilding and repair, public service and safety. Workforce Development Specialist Tom McNeal has been an enthusiastic Worlds of Opportunity participant since its inception because it exposes students to myriad career paths at a pivotal – and strategic – point in their education. All Alabama eighth-graders, he said, are required to take a career-interest inventory to highlight potential skills. Students are expected to choose a "career pathway" beginning with their ninth- grade year. The choice doesn't lock students into a field of study but is intended to play to their strengths. "How do you choose something as important as a potential future career if you've never touched it?" McNeal asked, noting that most people would never consider buying a house without having an inspection conducted or think about purchasing a car without a test drive. "Worlds of Opportunity is so amazing because it helps these kids feed those decisions," he said. "They get to talk to people – real people who live in their own communities – who are actually doing these real-world jobs. They learn what it takes, if they feel comfortable in a particular setting, what the jobs pay and, even more important, if they enjoy these careers." From a practical standpoint, McNeal said, the event is often the first exposure many students have to realistic pay scales. "They have no concept of where to start that conversation, but they can walk in here and find out what they can pull down with a two-year degree," he said, citing Alabama Power's salary range for instrumentation and control specialists. That position is in low supply and high demand and considered a "critical skills set" needed at all of the company's power plants, he said. "At the end of the day, everybody has a place," McNeal said. "The challenge is helping students figure out where that place is, and Worlds of Opportunity exposes them to hundreds of options they probably had no idea even existed. It's my job to help students understand what they need to do to get there." Another part of his job, McNeal said, is to "dispel some of those myths" about who may or may not be suited to which positions. "You may see more female nurses than male nurses or more male linemen than female linemen, but we're here to help the students figure out what excites them and how to build the life they want around the career that's right for them," McNeal said. The results to date are hard to ignore. In four years, there has been nearly a 4,000 percent increase in industry-recognized certifications earned by Mobile County students. Larry Mouton said certifications rose from 300 in 2010 to 12,000 last year. "This event has become an invaluable tool because we've been able to take the feedback we get and in our curriculum put more of an emphasis on our relationships with industry and what industry needs," said Mouton, Mobile County Public School System's executive director of career and technical education. "On the other side, it shows the students that they need these foundational skills, and it gives them a starting point." By Kelli Dugan EDUCATION 7 Students saw Tesla electric car in World of Automotive Technology. Photo by Kelli Dugan

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