Wahluke gearing up for annual Outdoor Career Fair

MATTAWA — The Wahluke School District will be hosting its annual Outdoor Career Fair on April 26 for Wahluke High School and Junior High students at the high school to connect with and learn from professionals in various outdoor careers.

“(It’s) just trying to help kids have exposure to what's out there,” said WSD Career and Technical Education Director Betty Palmer. “And it's going to change. It's already changing really fast and for them to talk with the professionals about what's needed for that job, that's the best information they can get. It's way better than from me or somebody else who's been out of the industry for a long time.”

The outdoor focus is meant to differentiate the fair from other similar events, Palmer said.

“We do other career fairs, but I'm trying to do all this outdoor stuff so that kids can see another huge segment of all the career pathways that are out there,” she said. “They just don't know to think about it.”

Palmer said potential represented fields range from skilled labor to science to agriculture to government agencies and more.

Feedback about previous years’ events from students has been positive, Palmer said. 

“The kids are into it; they like it,” she said. “We don't have that much free time to lose with students in classrooms, so it's really important that this aligns with career-connected learning, that the kids are making connections with what's out there.”

The students are excused from class to go to the fair and interact with professionals.

“They do have a passport where they can take notes, but they don't turn it in to me,” Palmer said. “It's for their benefit, and more importantly, it's for their High School and Beyond Plan.”
This year the event is moving away from incorporating colleges and universities in the fair, Palmer said.

“We're doing the guest professionals themselves, and then we'll follow up later in discussions … with, ‘How do you go to school for that’ or ‘Where do you start?’” she said.

The participating agencies and businesses have also enjoyed the event in the past, Palmer said.

“The positive feedback also shows up in that they're coming back. That's what's kind of amazing, is they found something worthwhile,” she said. “It's not a small deal to drive heavy equipment out here. So that part is kind of neat, that it wasn't a waste of their time, it's a good use of time.”

The event will feature informational booths and heavy equipment and vehicles for students to look at and explore. Palmer said she is reaching out to a wide variety of career professionals.

“I just keep trying to expand it so we can have more variety,” she said. “And part of it too depends on what the students tell me that they're interested in because I get to talk with kids on occasion and it's really interesting to learn what's students are interested in.”

Palmer said law enforcement is a significant portion of the event. 

“We have a huge law enforcement turnout. Last year especially,” she said, “and now we have more people that met and are connected, and I think Washington State Patrol is bringing some more toys, so to speak. So Washington State Patrol, their recruiters come out and it's really important for the recruiters to talk with students and (help them) understand that law enforcement jobs are pretty varied.”

Networking may also be an added benefit of the event, Palmer said. 

“The other side of this is if an employer is looking for summer help, or maybe they do have a position and they meet a kid here that they're interested in, how cool is that?” she said. “So it's not a recruitment, hiring opportunity at all, but that's one of the side gigs that a kid can find out about.”

Palmer said that organizations interested in participating in the career fair can contact her through the WSD at 509-932-4477. 

“It's just fun to watch students engage with people who have taken time out of their day to get here, to stay here and to talk to 700 students,” she said.

Gabriel Davis may be reached at gdavis@columbiabasinherald.com.

    Wahluke School District student Christopher Barajas tries on a firefighting harness during the 2023 Outdoor Career Day at Wahluke High School last spring.
  

    Joe Collins of RDO Equipment Company, right, talks about job opportunities with Wahluke High School students during the 2022 Wahluke School District Outdoor Career Fair.
  

    The air ambulance displayed during the 2022 Outdoor Career Fair at Wahluke High School drew a crowd of interested Wahluke School District students.
  

    Grant County PUD employees Luis Sanchez, left, and John Kemman, center, talk with Wahluke student Adrian Martinez about career opportunities during the Wahluke School District’s 2023 Outdoor Career Fair.