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Students explore career options at first Occupational Opportunities Expo

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GRA_1824What’s next? That is the question students asked themselves as Harlingen High School and Harlingen High School South hosted the Occupational Opportunities Expo on Sept. 26-27.

As part of Careers in Texas Industries Week, the career exploration event was a collaborative effort by Texas Workforce Commission, Workforce Solutions Cameron, and Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District with the purpose of encouraging students to explore careers in growing Texas Industry Clusters.

“This is our first ever Occupational Opportunities Expo geared toward our high school juniors and seniors,” said Director of Career and Technical Education Raul Alvarez. “It is a great opportunity for our students to experience some of the opportunities that are out there and learn about high-demand industries.”

“We are providing information to students so they could start doing career exploration,” said Henry B. Castillo, Regional Director at Workforce Solutions Cameron. “By hosting events like this, we are allowing students to talk to actual employers that are in some of the fields that they want to pursue. Students can ask what real professionals what they do in their jobs, and learn what they need to do if they want to get into their field of choice.”

The event featured motivational speaker Duane Spires who shared with students his personal story as well as his secrets to success.

Students learned about online tools like Texas Career Check where they have the chance to discover different careers and access information such as the occupation’s annual salary, degree requirements, and endorsement area. They also gathered information from potential employers, learned employer values, demonstrated effective communication, and networked with industry professionals.

Click here for more photos of the event.

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